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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUPFebruary 6, 2015Michael ClarkeADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Q. How are you feeling the day after? MICHAEL CLARKE: Yeah, I feel really good, thank you. I pulled up well after yesterday. It was nice to spend some more time on the ground to be honest, bowling and doing a little bit of fielding, as well. I've got more rehab and recovery this afternoon with the team, but I feel really good. Q. In for the long haul now, that's how it feels? MICHAEL CLARKE: Yeah, well I think I'll certainly continue to do what I need to do. I've got obviously Australian medical staff here with me so that will dictate what I'm doing on a daily basis, but like I said yesterday there's a bit of time before I'm required to play, so keep taking each step. Q. The team has got the best win percentage of anyone since the 2011 World Cup. Given that and not making the semis at that World Cup or the Champions Trophy, do you feel like this is an opportunity for all those performances across that time to actually show why you've been ranked No. 1 for most of that period? MICHAEL CLARKE: Well, I think major tournaments give you the opportunity to I guess through my career I believe the team winning the World Cup, I've always looked at them as the No. 1 team in the world. It is nice that we've had success along the way. Hopefully that helps us with momentum and confidence going into a major tournament. But in saying that, it's one game at a time. That's the type of tournament it is. I think you need to build momentum through the tournament, but you need to have consistent success. Hopefully like you say, how we've performed over the last couple of years, we can take that confidence into this tournament, but we need to be at our best. Q. Michael, you said yesterday you still felt a little way off being able to, I guess, get to the intensity level you need. How far away do you think you are from reaching that point? MICHAEL CLARKE: Yeah, I don't think it would be fair for me to I don't think I know the answer to that question. I think I'll get there by continuing to take each step. I'm running my running is close to full speed now, so I'll keep doing a lot of work there, keep working hard with my strength, and doing as much cricket related, cricket specific stuff as possible is going to get me to that intensity I need to be. Fielding with Mike Young yesterday at the Allan Border Field I think was a real good start in regards to I think that's probably the area I need to be 100 percent satisfied that my body can cope with going 100 miles an hour. That's the way I've always played my cricket, and that's the way I want to continue to play. I don't want to be restricted in where I field and how I field. I want to be able to play the type of cricket I've played through my whole career. Q. You did so much work ahead of the Adelaide test, extra work in the running and everything, and still broke down. What can you learn from that experience going through rehab again now? MICHAEL CLARKE: I probably had a 12 day period before the Adelaide test I didn't do a thing. I was pretty occupied in some other stuff, so that probably wasn't the best preparation heading into the test. So there's a big difference there already. Q. Having the time off and an intense period ahead of the test was maybe not so good? MICHAEL CLARKE: Well, it certainly didn't help me, no. I didn't have my best preparation, no way in the world. I don't think any player did to a certain extent, but in regard to my physical fitness, I had no preparation going into that test match. Q. From a psychological perspective, how vital was the great cricket return for western districts because that was sort of the first stage toward the comeback just after the injury sustained in Adelaide? MICHAEL CLARKE: Yeah, I guess it was just the next step for me, really. I'm extremely grateful and thankful for the help I've received from the Australian medical staff. I think they've been taking one step at a time and have got me to a position where I felt comfortable going into that club game, and then again, to be able to play yesterday. So I think by the work I've been putting in on a daily basis, the next step was to play a game of club cricket and then obviously to play for the CA XI yesterday and do a little bit more, spend some more time in the field or spend some time in the field, bowl a couple of overs, so I'm progressing as the medical staff have seen fit, and like I say, when I walk out on the field I feel confident. If I continue to do the work off the park, then playing the game is just the next step. Q. Do you have any concerns carrying a few guys in the World Cup score that are like you and James given it's such a short tournament and so on like that? MICHAEL CLARKE: That's up to the selectors, Cricket Australia. Q. Do you get frustrated constantly having to give a running commentary on how you're going? MICHAEL CLARKE: You guys ask the questions, I've just got to answer them. I've got the easy job. Q. You just spoke about big tournaments. India and MS Dhoni has done very well the past four years. Do you think the struggles this summer will have any impact on them going into the tournament? MICHAEL CLARKE: Look, I think MS Dhoni and the Indian team have always been successful, especially under his leadership. I think he's done a fantastic job, and he's a wonderful player and he's a match winner. No, look, I think they'll see it as a fresh start, and like you say, they've had success in major tournaments, and they'll certainly take confidence from that. So yeah, I have no doubt that India are going to be one of the toughest teams in this competition to beat, that's for sure. Q. You stepped up so large to play in this test match in Adelaide as you said earlier. If the World Cup final was on Sunday, would you be able to play? MICHAEL CLARKE: It's not on Sunday, so I don't have to worry about it, fortunately. Very good question. Q. Going on from the previous question, you were referring to MS and India. Yes, they are a competitive side in major tournaments, but going by the form in the past year, despite losses heading into the World Cup, they've always done well, but does that impact the World Cup campaign and loss just before the tournament? MICHAEL CLARKE: I don't really know. I think you probably could ask that question to MS Dhoni and the Indian team. I think they're a wonderful team. I think he's a fantastic leader, and like I say, I think they'll see it as a brand new tournament. They've got a couple of practice games to prepare, and they've got some extremely gifted players. I think their time in Australia, actually playing in the conditions, will certainly help them. Q. One word on your side. Thoughts on your pace unit? You'd reckon that's your biggest strength in this tournament at home? MICHAEL CLARKE: No, I think our strength is all three facets of the game. I think our bowling is certainly talented, and I think our batting has shown through this summer that we're making important runs, and I'm always a believer in fielding being a massive part of having success in any format of the game. I think if we can make sure that we are the best fielding team in the world throughout this tournament, I think that'll go a long way to having success. Q. Medical staff have said February 21 is the game. Is there any chance at all you could play February 14th opener if you make strides in the next couple of days? MICHAEL CLARKE: I think you should ask that question to the medical staff. I don't know the answer to that question. Like I said, I've been following their guidelines from day one, and I'm extremely thankful and grateful that I sit in this position now because of their advice and guidance. I'll 100 percent be dictated by what they feel and believe. Q. And following up to that, the travel by air has always been an issue for you, therefore there's a lot of long trips, Brisbane Auckland, Auckland Perth. Are you thinking that you may have to sit out one of those games once you're back in playing to avoid that quick turnaround, getting off a plane? MICHAEL CLARKE: I hope not. I've missed enough cricket over the last six months. As soon as I can get back on the park I'm keen to play every game for Australia. But again, if I'm told otherwise, then that's what I'll do. But I'd like to hope once I can get back on this park, I'm given every opportunity to play as much as I can for Australia. Q. Faulkner and Starc have been huge for you in death and powerplay bowling the last year or so. Is it going to definitely have to be a specialist taking over from James for as long as he's out, or do you see any of the all rounders as capable of stepping up in those late overs? MICHAEL CLARKE: Well, I think they've all had experience, especially in the shorter format, in the Twenty20 stuff, so I think we've got the talent there, that's for sure. It's just about practice now. I think plenty of work on our death stuff, execution, I'm confident any of the guys, all rounders, all the specialist bowlers, can play that role. Q. A couple of parts to this one. Talk about India, one issue for them obviously is they've already been away from home for four months and this is another couple. Put yourself in those shoes for that kind of amount of time away. Does that have a bit of a drain on a team when you're away from home that long? MICHAEL CLARKE: If I was away in Australia I'd be extremely grateful. What a country. So yeah, I'm not sure. I think they might be loving some time away. I really enjoy going on tour and seeing different parts of the world, and obviously you have your favorite spots, as well, and parts where you've had success, as well, so you take that confidence into those stadiums and those grounds. I think the advantage these days is you can bring your families, as well, so that makes life a lot easier, so if you're missing home, you can bring wives, kids, partners, friends, whatever it is. I know there's a lot of Indian support in this country, as well, so I think that will really help India. They've got a great following here. So yeah, are they missing home? I don't know the answer to that question, but I think, like I said, once the tournament starts, they're going to be a really tough team to beat. They're extremely talented and they've got lots of experience. Q. And just about the I guess the unique nature of the World Cup relative to pretty much any other international cricket you play, a lot of time between games as opposed to not very much. When that is so different, how do you deal with it and how have Aussie teams dealt with that in the past? MICHAEL CLARKE: I think it's one of two ways. I think when you're having success you enjoy that time off. You probably don't have to train as much as if you're not having success. The positive thing is you get time to recover, so individual players have plenty of time to get their bodies right and get their minds right to be able to look at the next opposition you're playing against, and the other side, when you're not performing, you've got plenty of time to prepare and turn that around while working hard in the net. Yeah, I've never minded the length of the tournament. I know it's spoken about often, about being too long, but as a player, I've never minded it. I think it gives you time to get to the next destination, get your body, get your mind right, look at your opposition, and then prepare. Q. You pretty much covered the physical aspect. How much of a mental battle is it now knowing that that battle, that you can go full tilt sort of thing? Is that in the back of your mind? MICHAEL CLARKE: No, like I said, I think the preparation I'm doing on a daily basis gives me the freedom and confidence to run at that intensity or move in the field or bowl or bat. I guess that's been my whole career, the work I do off the field has given me every chance to have success on the field, and that won't change. Like I say, I think the gap between me playing yesterday for the CA XI and walking out and playing a one day international, there's still a gap there, but I'll close that gap by the work I do off the field, and then once I step foot on the ground, I don't hold anything back. I give it 100 percent. I back the work I've done. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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