Michael Clarke says that medical team will decide when he plays in Cricket World Cup

Michael Clarke says Australia’s medical team will decide when he makes his long-awaited comeback from injury.

The 33-year-old faces a race against time to be fit to play in Australia’s opening match of the World Cup against England in eight days’ time.

Skipper Clarke has not played much cricket during the past few months due to hamstring surgery and chronic back pain.

He bowled two overs and knocked a breezy 34 while opening for a Cricket Australia XI against Bangladesh on Thursday, which followed on from a half-century for a local Sydney team last weekend in his first outing since pulling out of Australia's Test series against India in December.

Asked whether he thinks he will be fit for next Saturday’s tournament opener in Melbourne, Clarke said: "I think you should ask that question to the medical staff.

"I don't know the answer to that question. I have been following their guidelines from day one and I'm extremely thankful and grateful that I sit in this position now because of their advice and guidance.

"So I will 100 per-cent be dictated by what they feel and believe. I've missed enough cricket over the last six months.

“My running is close to full speed now. I’ll keep working hard with my strength and doing as much cricket specific stuff as possible.

“I need to get to the intensity I need and the gap between me playing in Sydney yesterday and walking out for a one-day international – there is still a gap.

“But I’ll close that gap by the work I’ll do off the field. As soon as I can get back on the park I'm keen to play every game for Australia."

Cricket Australia has given Clarke until the team's second pool match against Bangladesh on February 21 to prove his fitness for the World Cup.