Clarke ruled out of Sri Lanka clash

Australian captain Michael Clarke has been ruled out of this Friday’s One-Day International (ODI) clash against Sri Lanka following suffering a hamstring injury during his side’s four-wicket loss to India in Adelaide on Sunday.

Clarke, 30 appeared to twinge his hamstring whilst in the field and upon his return to Sydney on Monday underwent scans that revealed a grade one strain, which immediately ruled him out of the Commonwealth Bank Series clash against Sri Lanka to be played in Sydney later this week.

It will be the first ODI or Test match that Clarke has missed since replacing veteran Ricky Ponting as national team captain following the end of the 2011 World Cup campaign.

National team selectors will now have to decide on who to come into the side for Clarke with fellow veteran Michael Hussey likely to return after being rested in there last match.

The squad to be announced on Tuesday will also name a stand-in captain for the absent Clarke with his predecessor in Ricky Ponting the favourite to lead his side out against the World Cup finalists later this week.