Clarke claims Oz cannot take even minnows lightly in CWC campaign

Australia cricket team skipper Michael Clarke has claimed that his side's preparations against their upcoming World Cup opponents, Bangladesh, has been exactly the same as against England last week, and insisted that they cannot take any team lightly.

Clarke claimed that in cricket, that rusty gate would come back and smack one in the face if one takes things for granted.

The skipper wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph that the World Cup is a tournament where surprises are thrown up all the time and added that his side's preparation leading into the game against Bangladesh has been exactly the same as it was against England last week.

Clarke claimed that he was in Cardiff back in 2005 when Australia lost to Bangladesh in a one-dayer, and also in Harare last year when they went down to Zimbabwe.

Clarke stated that those occasions prove one simply can't take any team lightly.

Likewise, the skipper claimed that with his own preparation he is ready to play. He claimed that his training has been fantastic and he has been pushed to the limit, which has been great for his confidence.

Clarke claimed that their physio Alex Kountouris made it very clear to him that he wanted to push him as hard as possible so that when he walks out onto the field he knows that he has done everything at training.

Clarke has been under a rehabilitation program to prove his fitness for the remainder of the World Cup after missing Australia's tournament opener against England. He would take charge of Australia against Bangladesh on 21st February to meet his fitness deadline for the elite tournament, the report added.