Michael Clarke says he will not discuss cricket with daughter and has no desire to play again

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has said he deliberately avoids discussing cricket with his nine-year-old daughter, Kelsey Lee, and has no intention of returning to the field or joining exhibition circuits such as the Legends League.

Clarke, 44, told News Corp that his focus is on being a hands-on father while co-parenting Kelsey Lee with his ex-wife, Kyly Boldy, and that frequent overseas work has made balancing professional commitments and family life difficult. "It is the only thing I hate about my job, to be honest. At the moment I'm travelling nearly as much now as I was when I was playing," he said. "Any sort of TV work or commentary I'm doing, I'm overseas. ... It takes me away from her and that is hard."

Clarke said FaceTime has been invaluable when he is abroad, and that when he is in Sydney his daughter is "front and centre" in his life. He also explained why he does not bring up his cricketing past with Kelsey Lee, saying she will not see him play in person unless she looks him up online. "As Kels knows, daddy's got to work, we've got bills to pay. It is about trying to find the (right) balance," Clarke added.

The former right-handed batsman has repeatedly ruled out a competitive return to the sport that made him a global name. Clarke said he has no interest in the Legends League and intends to concentrate on parenting rather than re-entering cricket in a playing capacity.

Clarke has also been open about his ongoing skin cancer issues, which have influenced his view on long-term plans. In August he posted on Instagram that he had "another day, another skin cancer removed," sharing an update that included a photo showing a plaster on his nose. He previously underwent surgery in March 2022 to remove a skin cancer from his forehead and was first diagnosed in 2006. Clarke said the string of skin cancer scares left him concerned about his long-term presence for his daughter.

Clarke rose rapidly through Australian domestic cricket, making his first-class debut for New South Wales at 17 and his Test debut in 2004, when he scored a century against India. He captained Australia from 2011 to 2015, leading the team to victory in the 2015 ODI Cricket World Cup and overseeing a 5-0 Ashes whitewash of England in 2013–14. At his peak, Clarke scored more than 8,000 Test runs and produced a prolific 2012 season that included four double centuries.

He retired from international cricket in 2015 and has worked in media and television since, often travelling for commentary and broadcasting assignments. Clarke said the travel demands of his media work can mirror the time away from home that he experienced as a player and that managing that time remains a challenge.

Clarke and Boldy divorced in 2020. He has expressed a desire to remain closely involved in his daughter's life and to prioritise health checks amid his skin cancer history, urging others to get regular skin examinations. The former captain's comments underscore a decision to limit the role his cricketing legacy plays in his daughter's upbringing while concentrating on present family responsibilities and his own wellbeing.