Australian skipper cites a heavy international workload for the reason to step away.
The Sydney Thunder will not have the services of Michael Clarke this Big Bash League season, after the Australian captain said he could not give the job its deserved attention.
Citing the massive workload for the national team this upcoming Summer, Clarke said he would prefer his place on the Thunder squad go to a younger player who will get more from the experience.
“Having looked at the fixture list for the upcoming summer it became apparent that my opportunities to play for the Thunder would be extremely limited,” Clarke said in a statement.
“I think it is in the best interests of the club if I make myself unavailable for selection this season and allow the Thunder the chance to offer a contract to a younger player who would really benefit from the opportunity.
“I will continue to support the club and monitor the situation in future seasons regarding availability.”
Australia has a massive Summer ahead of them with a Test series against India, the usual one-day series before also tackling the ICC World Cup.
However, it must be said Clarke’s “absence” is one that will hardly be felt on the field as he has never played a game with the Thunder since joining the team.
In fact Clarke has never played a domestic T20 match at all, including for the NSW Blues.
The Thunder will be out to turn around their terrible form in the twenty20 competition, having finished last in the previous three seasons, and while they might not be able to call on Clarke’s services with the bat they do have legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis on their side this season.
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