Don't write off injured Clarke yet: Boof

Australia coach Darren Lehmann says it's too early to scratch Michael Clarke from the upcoming Test series against India and claims a clearer picture of the captain's short-term destiny won't be known until later this week.

As speculation swirls as to whether the latest recurrence of Clarke's hamstring injury will rule him out of the four-Test campaign and even jeopardise his availability for the subsequent ICC World Cup, Lehmann painted a typically pragmatic view of the landscape that is unfolding.

"At the moment he's captain of Australia and if he's fit to play and he gets through the next little bit then hopefully he'll front up in the first Test (in Brisbane starting December 4)," Lehmann said today in Perth before his team headed to Canberra for the next Carlton Mid Series ODI against South Africa.

"I'm no medico, but basically what we're going to do is see how he goes in the next couple of days.

"They (doctors who looked at scans of Clarke's injured hamstring) were reasonably encouraged, but I don't know the ins and outs of it too much – I just want to know if he's in or he's out.

"If he's fit he'll play – he's captain.

"So we'll see what happens in a couple of days and then you (the media) will know more – and you probably know before I do half the time."

While Clarke has been ruled out of the remaining three matches in the Carlton Mid Series – in Canberra on Wednesday, Melbourne on Friday and Sydney on Sunday – he still has two and a half weeks before the first Commonwealth Bank Test begins at the Gabba.

It's only if his captain is unable to make muster for that game that Lehmann will turn his attention to a replacement skipper, and points out a recommendation will then be made by the National Selection Panel to the Cricket Australia Board for ratification once a final medical diagnosis on Clarke is handed down.

The coach was not about to add his name to the list of those speculating on who will toss the coin alongside India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli (regular skipper M S Dhoni has already been ruled out with an arm injury) on that Thursday morning in Brisbane.

"There's been names (of possible Test replacement Test captains) bandied around all over the place," Lehmann observed.

"Young blokes and older guys. At the end of the day it ends up being the (CA) Board decision … and whoever that is, they'll do a good job."

Asked whether incumbent vice-captain Brad Haddin, who is also racing the clock to be passed fit having injured his shoulder during last month's Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, was expected to be on deck for Brisbane, Lehmann claimed he was confident.

He reiterated that Haddin would most likely need to prove his fitness for New South Wales in their Bupa Sheffield Shield match against South Australia in Sydney from November 25, but added the veteran wicketkeeper appeared to be making good progress towards that goal.

"We're still aiming for him to play that Shield game before the first Test and he needs to play that for us, so from our point of view he's ahead of the game," Lehmann said.

"And it looks like he's going to play that one. But again, until he's named and played we're not sure."

Another player who won't be considered for this summer's Test campaign is exciting 21-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins even though he passed another significant milestone on his recovery from long-term injury today.

Cummins, who after two years out of international cricket made his long-awaited return in the recent KFC T20 Series against South Africa, has been added to Australia's squad for the remaining three Carlton Mid Series ODI matches.

Cummins and Mitchell Starc have been included in the 14-man squad, in part to cover the absence of Mitchell Johnson who Lehmann confirmed is being rested for the upcoming Test series and the lengthy schedule of ODIs and World Cup fixtures in the new year.

It will be Cummins' first opportunity to represent his country in the 50-over game since his debut match in England more than two years ago, and he acknowledges he is hoping to make a late charge towards Australia's 15-man World Cup squad that will be finalised in early January.

However, despite impressing the National Selection Panel in his T20 comeback Cummins will continue to be restricted to white-ball cricket as his bowling workload is closely managed to try and prevent a recurrence of the stress fractures in his back that threatened to curtail his promising career.

"The goal was always the World Cup and that was definitely a possibility in terms of playing enough cricket before then," Cummins said in Sydney today, while acknowledging there was only three ODIs remaining before the selectors settled on their World Cup 15.

"It was up to me to try and bowl well and break into that team and it's still a while but hopefully I'm on track.

"I think we've got five or six bowlers in the squad and we'll all be trying to fight it out for a couple of (World Cup) positions.

"It's going to be really competitive but that's going to be everyone's aim in the Australian set-up to get in that World Cup squad.

"It's short-form cricket and I've been bowling pretty much unrestricted for the last year and had no problems, so the World Cup for me has always been the goal, especially in the last 12 months.

"I still feel like I've bowled a lot in the last couple of years, it's just that I haven't played many competitive games so in a way it's been nice to not have the limelight so much and not have so much pressure on my bowling."

Lehmann said it was reassuring that Australia's stocks of young fast bowlers – that have promised so much but been cursed by injuries in recent years – were looking healthy with Cummins and Josh Hazlewood back to full fitness and in international colours.

In addition, Tasmanian quick Jackson Bird is making his return from a back injury in the Toyota Futures League this week and Starc has been cleared of his groin strain to return to the ODI squad having been rested from NSW's current Shield match.

But Lehmann said that despite their promise, bowlers such as Cummins will need to earn their stripes as the selection panel – of which he is a member – turns their thoughts to World Cup possibilities as well as the Test series conundrums.

It's good to see him (Cummins) back with us and have a look at him close," Lehmann said today.

"I haven't had too much work with him apart from an Australia A series (last year), so I'm looking forward to seeing how he's progressed over those 12 months and look after him and get him back playing.

"We always talk about form and that's going to be the big thing when we decide those final 15 (World Cup) spots.

"He gets his chance in these three games and I'm sure he'll do well."