Australia coach Darren Lehmann has suggested that captain Michael Clarke is in contention to play in their World Cup opener against England on Saturday.
The 33-year-old batsman returned from a two-month injury layoff and made 64 as the Aussies thrashed the United Arab Emirates in their final warm-up game.
His right hamstring, torn during the first Test against India in December, also emerged unscathed from 30 overs in the field and a two-over bowling spell in Melbourne.
Clarke was thought to have been set a deadline of February 21 - when Australia play Bangladesh in their second World Cup match - to prove his fitness, but Lehmann has not ruled out him facing England in Sydney.
"We'll sum it up tomorrow, see how he pulls up," Lehmann told reporters when asked if Clarke could play on Saturday. "We'll see what happens from there.
"He played really well, which is nice to see after coming back from the hamstring. It's a good result for him today. Probably the fielding is going to be the big thing. But we're really pleased and he's been really confident."
The tournament co-hosts beat the UAE by 188 runs, with Aaron Finch and Steve Smith also making half-centuries.
Joe Fish
