{
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    "title": "Clarke out of Australia's WC opener against England",
    "lang": "en",
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    "cup_year": "2015",
    "article_type": "General",
    "excerpt": "Australia coach Darren Lehmann Thursday confirmed captain Michael Clarke is on track to return against Bangladesh",
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    "editor1": "<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Melbourne, Feb 12 (IANS) Australia coach Darren Lehmann Thursday confirmed captain Michael Clarke is on track to return against Bangladesh, but has ruled him out of Saturday&#39;s ICC World Cup opener against England here.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Clarke top scored 64, bowled a couple of overs and fielded during Wednesday&#39;s warm-up game against the United Arab Emirates.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Coach Darren Lehmann noted the 33-year-old pulled up &quot;really well&quot; and was &quot;very keen&quot; to play against England<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">However, Lehmann and Australian selectors, team medical staff and Clarke came to the conclusion that Feb 21 would be a more sensible return date for the captain.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;He&#39;s very keen to play. But we&#39;ve got to make sure when he gets back he&#39;s ready to go and he will be come Saturday week,&quot; Lehmann was quoted as saying by The Australian.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;Everyone was sitting around talking about it and making sure we make the right decision. He just had a chat. He&#39;s respectful of what we&#39;re trying to do to get him right. We would have loved to have him available for this first game, but we&#39;re making sure he&#39;s 100 percent ready to go for Bangladesh.&quot;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Clarke completed fielding drills after the match, then again Thursday morning.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;He has a few tests today to do but he&#39;ll pass those no dramas,&quot; Lehmann said.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">&quot;It&#39;s making sure he gets into the fielding side of it in the next week and just ticks that off. We&#39;re going to stick with the plan and he&#39;ll play against Bangladesh.&quot;&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">A month ago, chief selector Rod Marsh nominated Feb 21 as Clarke&#39;s final fitness deadline with the veteran to be dropped from the squad if he is not up to scratch then.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">Clarke was initially given little hope of being fit in time, but has exceeded expectations in his recovery from hamstring surgery.&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n",
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