'Under pressure' Clarke dispels rumours of retirement

Michael Clarke's long-running back problem, couple with Australia's woes might have pointed towards possibilities of the captain retiring, but the batsman has himself suggested that losing only made him work harder, dismissing outright suggestions of a premature retirement.

According to The Age, Clarke declared on the eve of the third Ashes Test starting on Thursday that he loved the game as much now as he ever did, and that was for sure, with no intention to walk away from the game right now.

Clarke's problem, degenerative discs in his lower back, was diagnosed at age 17 and has been a recurring issue for him since then but up until March, it had never stood between him and playing a Test, the report said.

However, the report added that the run of 92 matches was broken in Delhi, when he flew home before the fourth and final Test of the disastrous tour of India, his back screaming at the constant flexing and rotating required of him as an elite cricketer.

Clarke said that he felt his game still had a lot of improvement left in it and that is the reason why he came to training everyday, adding that when he thought he could not get any better, with nothing else to give to the team, his time would then be finished.