MELBOURNE: Doubt over Michael Clarke’s status for the first Test against India intensified on Monday after he was selected to lead Australia, subject to fitness, and then ruled out of another warm-up match.

The Australian selectors announced the 12-man squad for the Dec 4-8 series opener, including Clarke despite the 33-year-old batsman missing most of the just-completed limited-overs series against South Africa after injuring his left hamstring for the third time since August.

Clarke was added to a Cricket Australia XI for a two-day tour match against India in Adelaide starting Friday to test his injury, and chief selector Rod Marsh said if the Australia captain couldn’t run by Wednesday then they can safely assume he won’t be playing the Test.

“I’ve been pulled out of, or passed unfit, to play the game in Adelaide,” Clarke told reporters at a promotional event in Sydney.

“The medical team in the Australian cricket team have ruled me out of that game. The next game that I am available for, if I can be fit, is grade cricket on Saturday.

“Hopefully I can make myself available, then it is completely up to the selectors to work out what to do. I would hope with my experience that the selectors, my team-mates, Cricket Australia, will all respect my opinion,” he said.

Clarke is one of a handful of players carrying injuries ahead of an important home Test series and the upcoming World Cup.

Vice-captain and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin was selected for the first Test, despite missing the 4-1 ODI series win over South Africa with a shoulder injury; veteran fast bowler Ryan Harris was recalled after just one first-class match since returning from knee surgery; and Steve Smith strained his right quadriceps playing against South Africa and withdrew from a Sheffield Shield match this week for New South Wales.

Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson.

Published in Dawn, November 25th , 2014