'Recovering' Clarke rejects speculations of rift with teammates

Rejecting speculations about a rift with teammates, Australian captain Michael Clarke has claimed that his battles for fitness ahead of the Cricket World Cup has not driven a wedge between him and the squad.

As Clarke returned to the field for a grade cricket match, he claimed that the six-and-a-half weeks he had spent recuperating from hamstring surgery had not created a rift between him and the squad.

Clarke claimed that it certainly hasn't been for him, adding that it seems like it might have been for a few other people and insisted that he is not talking about his teammates or the Cricket Australia staff, Sport24 reported.

A serious hamstring injury had forced Clarke to bow out after the first Test against India in December, with Steve Smith filling in as captain for the three remaining Tests.

Reports suggested that the team have taken to Smith's style, while speculation that Clarke wants to have a strong say in when he is ready to return to the team has caused friction with Cricket Australia.

Clarke claimed that he is not going to get into it, adding that it seems like some people in particular are going to write what they want to write. He insisted that he is really happy and comfortable with his relationship with CA firstly, and certainly with his teammates.

Clarke claimed that it's water off a duck's back for him, adding that he has copped it his whole career, insisting that it's another day, another newspaper sold and he doesn't really care.

CA has given Clarke until Australia's second pool match against Bangladesh on February 21 to prove his fitness for the World Cup, the report added.