Australia captain Michael Clarke had little time to reflect on a "tough summer" battling injury and grieving the death of his friend Phillip Hughes but took satisfaction in defying those who thought him a spent force.
The 34-year-old batsman will lead Australia into the second Test against West Indies in Kingston later on Friday, six months after thinking his career might be over in the wake of another injury to his problematic hamstring.
Clarke’s comeback from surgery to help his team win a fifth World Cup triumph on home soil was a fairytale finish for his one-day career and a decisive answer to critics who had written him off as a physical and emotional wreck.
Though preparing Australia’s bid to sweep West Indies 2-0 and retain the Ashes in England next month, Clarke looked back on a tumultuous period in his life when his grief for teammate Hughes and struggle for fitness played out in the full public glare.
“I think my main focus at the time was getting through the passing of Phillip and supporting his family as much as I could,” Clarke told reporters in Jamaica.
“And then when I was doing that I guess I made the decision to have surgery on my hamstring to give myself any chance, in my opinion, of making it back to the World Cup.
“So I didn’t get too many days to stop and reflect, which I think for me personally was probably a good thing.
“I just think when you lose someone close it’s hard to not think about them but if you’ve got something else on your mind, sometimes that can drive you. And that’s probably the way I tried to use it.
“The fact that I was able to get myself fit for that World Cup, help the team make the final, help the team win the final, I was really proud of myself to be able to do that.
“I don’t think there was too many people who thought I was going to make it. That was really satisfying.
“To get that result was icing on the cake for what was a tough summer off the field.”
Clarke has played with a back condition throughout his career but said his body was feeling “outstanding” as he prepared for his 110th Test.
“I’ve had degeneration in my back for my whole career but I’ve managed it,” he added. “But since surgery I haven’t felt my hamstring. Long may that continue.”
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner RB Money To Burn, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Kimbear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Platinum Star, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Key Victory, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
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Brief scores:
Toss: Rajputs, elected to field first
Sindhis 94-6 (10 ov)
Watson 42; Munaf 3-20
Rajputs 96-0 (4 ov)
Shahzad 74 not out