Australian captain Michael Clarke has insisted that his back problems that have troubled him for nearly half his life will not force him to cut short his international career.
Clarke, who was ruled out from the ongoing Delhi Test due to those problems, said that he can manage the degenerative discs in his lower back, diagnosed when he was a teenager, adding that the injury will not force him to quit the game earlier than he would prefer, or prompt him into surgery, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Stating that his injury will not have any impact in regard to his Test career at this stage, Clarke said that since he had managed it this long, there is no question as to why he cannot manage it for the rest of his career.
Clarke further said that his injury flares up when he is flexes or rotates his arm muscles, adding that due to fielding, sprinting and throwing a ball, his injury forced him to stay off the Delhi Test and had also affected his performance in Mohali in terms of his movement.
Expressing his gratitude to team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris, Clarke said that he hoped that Kountouris will help him to keep a consistent performance after he comes back from his injury.
Clarke received intensive treatment from team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris since incurring the latest bout of pain last Sunday, and had to battle with the pain for the remainder of the third Test match, won by India by six wickets to seal a 3-0 series lead, the report added.
