FORMER Hampshire captain Shane Warne has claimed that Cricket Australia "tried to break" Michael Clarke during his return from hamstring surgery.

Skipper Clarke was ruled out of tomorrow’s blockbuster World Cup opener against England at the MCG despite making a quicker-than-expected recovery.

Warne believes that is a "big call" and suggested that Clarke, a close friend of the former leg-spinner, was not only ready to play but is fitter than he has been for a long time.

“With Michael Clarke I think he's just ready to go," he said.

“The physios and everyone planned a certain path for Michael and they said this is the eight-week period you need to do this and you need to do that.

“They basically tried to break him. They tried to break him with their fitness test and tried to break him in all parts of that.

“To see him come through that with flying colours and to be fitter than he's ever been for at least three to five years, he reckons...

“Being that fit at the moment he knows deep down there's nothing more he can do."

Shortly after Clarke's surgery Cricket Australia set him a deadline of February 21 - their second group game against Bangladesh - to prove his fitness to play in the World Cup.

The skipper's response was to work tirelessly to get back to full health and, after playing in Wednesday's warm-up game against United Arab Emirates, there was speculation he could make an unlikely appearance against England.

Coach Darren Lehmann ruled that out yesterday, confirming Clarke would be kept in cotton wool until the Bangladesh game, but Warne is not convinced that is the right decision.

“When you are leaving guys out like Michael Clarke in some big games...it's a big call to leave him out."

“Why not play this game and miss the next one? This is a big game. Australia v England in the first game at the MCG. Sold out."

Warne is certain the tight deadline that Clarke has been made to work to has steeled him for Australia's bid to win a fifth World Cup.

“He's done everything and he's ready to go," he said.

“I'm expecting some big things from him. I think he'll be hurting not playing this game. He'll be itching. It'll probably make him hungrier to play."

Warne, who captained Hampshire between 2004-2007 inclusive, believes Australia should be wary of suffering an opening-night shock to England, who have had a poor recent record Down Under.

England have lost 13 of their past 15 one-day internationals against Australia in their own backyard - including all three tri-series games this winter.

“I don't think that previous games and history comes into a World Cup tournament," Warne said.

“If you were going into a series you could say they've got some form, but World Cups are so different.

“Someone turns up for England tomorrow, whether it be Ian Bell plays the innings of his life, Eoin Morgan plays the innings of his life to finish and suddenly they make 320 rather than 260.

“Things happen - people do weird things when they're under pressure, they do things they're not used to."

England showed they are closing the gap on the best teams during the tri-series when they twice comfortably beat world champions India.

England got to the final the last time a World Cup was held in the Antipodes - in 1992 - and Warne thinks they could repeat that achievement if their key names hit form.

He added: "They need Jimmy Anderson and (Stuart) Broad to fire, and a few of their batters.

"If Morgan, Bell, Bopara get going and they play Alex Hales - which they should because we've seen what he can do - if a few of those guys have a day out and get a bit of momentum in the World Cup, they could go all the way too.”