Michael Clarke, after limping off the field on the final day of the Adelaide Test, has said it is possible that he may never play again.
Clarke, who has a history of back problems, was nursing an injury to his left hamstring ahead of the Test series against India. On the final day of the riveting first Test, he pulled his right hamstring while fielding and went for scans.
After Australia completed a thrilling 48-run win over India to take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series, the Australian captain ruled himself out of the remainder of the series.
"The experts are looking at scans now, I don't know exactly how long I'm going to be out for," Clarke said. "I think the World Cup, our first practice game is eight weeks away, I'd love to take part in the tri-series, I'd love to take part in the World Cup but I just have to wait and see.
"There's no doubt there's certainly a chance [I will miss the World Cup], well there's a chance I may never play again. I hope that's not the case and I'll be doing everything in my power to get back out on the park but I have to be realistic as well.
"I think my body in general there's always that risk. This is a different hamstring, I did my left hamstring, I've done my right side of my back, I've just done my right hammy. I've got injury concerns at the moment, now I've got to go back and do what the experts tell me to give myself my best chance of being fully fit. But I think I have to be honest with myself and have a good hard think about things, definitely."
Even as he listed the injury concerns he is faced with, Clarke said he did not, for once, regret playing in this Test.
"I have no regrets about playing this Test match, I have no regrets about going back on the field after I retired hurt," he said. "I am extremely thankful that Alex Kountouris and Doctor Peter Brukner did everything they could to give me a chance to get on the park in this Test match firstly, but then to walk out and score some runs. The rest will take care of itself. I will be guided by the experts and hopefully I'll get another opportunity to play again this summer.
After deciding to play the Adelaide Test, Clarke was batting well, when he had to retire hurt in the first innings. However, he returned at the crease the next morning and went on to score a fighting century. He took injections in his back overnight and led the team from the front.
"My back was quite sore. I needed some injections and some medication to get me back out onto the park, but I've said before that's part of playing international sport, people do it on a daily basis. Once you walk into the game you have to do whatever it takes to finish that game and it was really important for me to walk back out the next morning.
"India had just taken the second new ball, India had taken three wickets at the end of that day with the new ball so I thought it was important for the team that I got out there and even if I couldn't make runs just see the new ball off to give our tail every opportunity."
