Clarke's back will always be a worry

Tim Nielsen, Australia's coach, believes there are no guarantees over Michael Clarke's troublesome back in the long-term and he won't be rushed into the one-day squad in India. Clarke, who missed the Champions Trophy with the injury, said this week his progress was slow and steady. He has not been picked for the limited-overs tour with the team management preferring him to concentrate on being ready for the opening West Indies Test next month.

Nielsen expects the problem will continue to hamper Clarke, Australia's Test and one-day deputy and Twenty20 leader. "I don't think we can ever guarantee that [his back will be fine], the issues are with discs and things with his back, so I'm not sure they're ever going to be 100% perfect,'' Nielsen told AAP. "He'll have to manage it and he basically gets daily treatment on his back and his body when he's away and playing and travelling, as do most of the blokes."

He said it was important Clarke was at full fitness before he returned. "There's no point bringing him back half-baked and hoping we can nurse him through," Nielsen said, "because there's nothing surer that it'd be a recipe for disaster for him.''

Australia need Clarke's experience as they continue their rebuild and aim for some confidence-boosting success over West Indies and Pakistan in the Test arena this summer. The team is plotting its way back after a 2-1 loss to England in the Ashes, a journey which started well with a win in the Champions League.

However, Australia's schedule remains packed and the Australians won't have a break until the middle of next year, increasing the likelihood of Clarke missing more matches. "We're hopeful if we get him enough time to make sure he comes back 100% fit, or as good as he can possibly be, then that'll minimise the chances of it flaring up quickly,'' Nielsen said. "We hope we can come home from India in a month and we'll see him smiling up there in Brisbane and ready to go for the first match as good as he can possibly be.''

Clarke's new role as Twenty20 captain makes it harder for him to be rested during the packed schedule. "He's not an old man," Nielsen said, "so we've got to be very careful that we don't flog him to death as a 28-year-old as he is now.''