Tuesday, June 21, 2016

New South Wales rule out Clarke return for domestic season

Michael Clarke, theformer Australian captain, will not play for the New South Wales Blues in the forthcoming season of the domestic One-Day Cup, the state association confirmed on Tuesday (June 21). The 35-year-old Clarke, who retired from international cricket following Australia's Ashes series defeat to England in 2015, had hinted at the possibility of a return to top-flight domestic cricket.
Talks of a possible return to the Australian domestic cricket surfaced after Clarke made his Twenty20 comeback last month with the Kowloon Cantons in the two-day Hong Kong T20 tournament, where he made 6 and 15 not out in his two innings. However, Cricket NSW confirmed that the prolific right-hander, who scored 11 Sheffield Shield hundreds in 44 games, will not turn out for the state team in any format in the 2016-17 season. It is understood that the stylish right-hander would not be able to participate in the team's pre-season training activities due to his business commitments.
"Michael has decided against returning to elite cricket with the NSW Blues," a Cricket NSW spokesman told News Corp.
Clarke however, harbours hopes of playing in the upcoming season of the city-based Big Bash League, a tournament he hasn't previously played in despite having been contracted with the Sydney Thunder and the Melbourne Stars in the past. In February, Sydney Sixers, who had a few slots to fill in their roster for the sixth season of the tournament, had spoken to Clarke about his return plans.
"We only have a few positions available on our roster and we are just working through our review process from last season. It's a long off season so we will wait and see how things pan out in the coming months," Dominic Remond, General Manager of the Sixers, had told AAP.

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