Australia skipper Michael Clarke gearing up to meet 'fitness deadline', says personal trainer

Australia captain Michael Clarke's long-time personal trainer has claimed that the skipper is giving 'everything he possibly can to get right' and meet the fitness deadline to clinch his place in the World Cup squad.

Duncan Kerr, who first worked with Clarke 17 years ago claimed that he is 'unaware' of the specifics of the test Clarke must pass by February 21, saying that it's all pretty much 'hush-hush' at the moment.

However, reports have hinted that the requirements set by Cricket Australia (CA) are 'unnecessarily harsh'. Kerr, meanwhile, is not bothered by that and said that they would see what CA throws at Clarke and see how the skipper goes, Stuff.co.nz reported.

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Kerr said that Clarke has 'done everything that's asked of him' from a training point of view, from the program that's been set by CA to the program that the physio gives him, to what he has given the skipper, adding that he has 'passed everything so far'. Kerr insisted that Clarke wants to play cricket, adding that it's what the skipper 'does best and what he enjoys'. He added that Clarke has always come out on top.

Kerr claimed that Clarke is working 'extremely hard', adding that he's an 'absolute workaholic', and a 'perfectionist', and he believes that the way the skipper is going at the moment, he's definitely 'ahead of schedule'.