Australia captain Michael Clarke needs some time in the middle.

Plagued by a troublesome hamstring injury, Clarke has barely played this summer.

Prior to Wednesday’s ICC World Cup thrashing of Afghanistan, Clarke had played one competitive game of cricket for his country since December. One.

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Lacking sharpness and looking rusty, he played a poor shot to be dismissed for 12 in that match, against New Zealand on Saturday.

So Afghanistan’s visit to Perth represented an excellent opportunity for Clarke to have a hit. As they say, you can’t beat match practice.

You can imagine Australia’s batsmen licking their lips at the prospect of facing a mediocre – at best – Afghanistan attack on a good WACA pitch offering its typical true bounce.

Up for a bowl but not a bat: Michael Clarke. Photo: Getty

And when the tourists won the toss and bizarrely chose to field, the scene was set. Not just for Clarke – but for all of his teammates to cash in and find some momentum after a stop-start World Cup to date.

So the mind boggles when a look at the scorecard has MJ Clarke in the ‘did not bat’ column as Australia scored 6-417.

If anyone needed a hit, it was Clarke.

Granted, he was set to come in at number four and spent more than 34 overs watching David Warner and Steve Smith compile a 260-run partnership for the second wicket.

But as the wickets kept falling and Clarke remained in the dressing room, the situation became more ridiculous.

With just two pool matches remaining, Australia’s captain has faced 18 deliveries for the tournament.

And if they play just four specialist batsmen, as they did against Afghanistan, the responsibility on Clarke is heavier.

Clarke has a stack of credits in the bank with the Australian public but I’m not sure we are buying his reasoning for not batting.

“We had an opportunity with about 11 overs to go, I decided to send ‘Maxi’ in front of me,” he said afterwards.

“We had an opportunity to try and break our World Cup record, get that highest score. We had a crack at that and the boys played really well.

“I was thinking of coming in at number four. I would have liked to have had a bat for my own individual form, to get some runs under my belt, but I think it was the best decision.”

Does anyone actually think the dressing room was set on breaking Australia’s World Cup record, then 6-377, set in 2007 against South Africa?

Did the players even know?

It’s not a long-standing record and of Wednesday’s team, only Clarke played in the match.

I don’t reckon many of the players were trading high-fives when they passed 377.

So is there another reason why Clarke didn’t bat? Is his hamstring or back playing up again?

Or was he worried about another failure? It’s widely expected that Clarke will step down from ODI cricket at the conclusion of the World Cup.

Surely he’s not under pressure to keep his spot?

He did his best to quash talk of more fitness worries by bringing himself on to bowl.

He bowled handily in taking 1-14 off five overs but it didn’t deflect the attention away from his decision not to bat.

Shane Watson batting in the WACA nets. Photo: Getty

It’s a decision so puzzling when you cast your mind back to two famous innings Clarke has played for his country in the past 12 months.

First came an outstanding 161 in Cape Town in the third Test against South Africa last year. With the series, and the No.1 Test ranking up for grabs, Clarke was battered and bruised by a barrage of Morne Morkel bouncers.

He was hit on the arms, elbow, shoulder, helmet and thumb with scans later revealing he suffered a broken shoulder during the innings.

But he willed himself to a big century that helped Australia to victory.

Then there was his ton in Adelaide in the first Test since Phillip Hughes’ tragic passing.

Just about batting on one leg, Clarke – desperate to pay tribute to his great mate with a big score – played an innings of guts, determination and sheer will to score a memorable 128.

His willingness to bat with injuries – he could have easily retired hurt on both occasions – and come out the other side with big hundreds just makes Wednesday’s decision all the more puzzling.

The match against Afghanistan also saw all-rounder Shane Watson dropped.

It’s a significant move, leaving out a player of such experience – something that could prove very handy at the business end of the tournament.

The numbers don’t stack up, though, and Watson admitted as much on Thursday, saying: “I know I haven’t scored enough runs so I’ve only got myself to blame … I know I’ve had plenty of opportunities.”

But Watson shouldn’t be too downcast. Australia’s rate of injuries will give him every chance of getting back in the team. It’s a chance he’ll need to take.