Sydney: Australia captain Michael Clarke batted with a broken shoulder when he scored an unbeaten 161 during his team's decisive win over South Africa earlier this month in their three-test series, the team said Monday.
Physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a statement that scans had confirmed the fracture near the joint in his left shoulder, which occurred when Clarke was hit by a bouncer from South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel during his innings in the third test.
Morkel tested Clarke with a barrage of bouncers, striking him on the forearm, elbow, shoulder and helmet on the first day and on the thumb when he returned with the second new ball.
Clarke's 27th test century helped Australia take the third test and complete a 2-1 series win over the South Africans. It was just the second series defeat for South Africa in its last 26 test series under now-retired captain Graeme Smith.
Clarke has been ruled out of the upcoming final of the Sheffield Shield, Australia's domestic first class championship. He had hoped to play for New South Wales against Western Australia in the match to be played Friday at Canberra's Manuka Oval.
Australia team doctor Peter Brukner had earlier spoken about the difficulties he and Kontouris faced in getting Clarke ready for the second day of the third test against South Africa after the battering he took on the first day.
Clarke was covered in bruises which prevented him sleeping after the first day, though his shoulder injury had not yet been diagnosed.
"He was in a lot of pain," Brukner said. "Nothing was serious long term, just short term he was battered and bruised."
