Nine months without cricket was a rigorous travel for Michael Clarke. Now, he is all set to come back in Hong Kong T20 Blitz. Clarke said his body felt 15 years younger after a spell away from cricket. Clarke, troubled by chronic back problems, retired after last year’s Ashes series but less than a year later, he will make an experimental hit-out for Kowloon Cantons.
“I’m going to play these couple of games and see how I go, see if I enjoy it and then assess after that. My body’s going really well. My body hasn’t felt this good in 15 years. Let’s hope I’m saying that on Sunday night after four games of cricket!” he said.
The 35-year-old batsman played his last Twenty20 international in 2010 but he will test the waters for a stint in Australia’s Big Bash League at the four-team Hong Kong event this weekend.
Clarke has been in discussions about playing for the Sydney Sixers in the increasingly popular Big Bash, and a steady stream of his countrymen have padded their bank accounts and fanbases in India’s money-spinning IPL. Apart from a “rusty” 48 in a Sydney club game in February, Clarke said he had hardly played or even watched any cricket this year. “I don’t think it’s new. I think of Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin — all these guys have been doing it for years. It just seems to be a little bit bigger because I’m involved,” he added.