SYDNEY: Michael Clarke has been added to the Australian squad for next week's first Ashes test against England as cover for injured all-rounder Shane Watson.
Clarke was overlooked when the Australian selectors named their 13-man squad on Thursday but was rushed back in after Watson strained his right hamstring in a domestic one-day match in Perth on Friday.
Watson was due to be assessed by the Australian team's physiotherapist, Alex Kountouris, when he arrived in Brisbane on Saturday night with a decision on his availability expected to be made on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Watson has a long history of injuries and Clarke's inclusion in the squad could suggest his chances of playing in the first test are fading with the selectors unlikely to take any risks for such an important match.
Watson was included in the Australian team as a counter to England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, whose contribution with both bat and ball was pivotal in their unexpected Ashes victory last year.
Watson has been earmarked for greatness since he was a teenager but his career has been restricted to three Test appearances because of a series of injuries, including back and shoulder problems.
If Watson was ruled out, Australia face the prospect of choosing either a sixth specialist batsman or a fifth bowler.
The selectors had already named five pacemen in their initial squad but only three would have played with Watson and leg-spinner Shane Warne able to share the workload.
The addition of Clarke, a dashing middle-order batsmen, could indicate they will stick with three quicks and strengthen the batting if Watson is unavailable.
Clarke, 25, has been regarded as one of Australia's brightest prospects since he scored a century on his test debut against India two years ago.
He scored a hundred in his first Test on home soil and made 91 in the first Ashes test last year before his form suddenly fell away and he was dropped.
