Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke recently opened up about his ongoing fight with skin cancer, revealing that he has had a number of cut outs on his face and has to consult a dermatologist every six months for treatment. Clarke had his first skin cancer removed in 2006 when he was still playing cricket for Australia, but had been getting regular check-ups done from an early age. Clarke has now accepted that his skin was just something he needed to keep a close eye on for the rest of his life. In 2023, Clarke joined the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation to raise awareness on the matter.
“I’ve got a number cut outs of my face. I had one about four weeks ago off my nose. I see my dermatologist every six months. The sunspots I get frozen. Normally, if they’re basal cell I get them cut out. I think I’ve had seven cut out of my face. You can’t hide them,” he said on ‘The Kyle and Jackie O’ show.
In August, Clarke took to social media to reveal that he has been diagnosed with a recurrence of skin cancer. The Australia batting great previously had a skin cancer scare in 2006 when doctors treated him for suspected spots on his face. He immediately got the spots from his face and chest surgically removed. Clarke underwent procedures to remove cancerous growths from his chest and forehead in later years. He had, in the past, attributed his skin cancer risk to the extensive time he spent in the sun as a cricketer.
In 2019, Clarke revealed that he had skin cancer removed from his forehead after getting diagnosed with three non-melanoma lesions in 2006. Clarke had shared a picture with stitches on his forehead and a message for the youngsters. “Another day, another skin cancer cut out of my face… youngsters out there make sure you are doing all the right things to protect yourself from the sun,” he had written.
Clarke, who led Australia to the 2015 World Cup title before retiring, enjoyed a stellar career featuring in 115 Tests, 245 ODIs, and 34 T20Is, scoring over 17,000 runs across formats.
(With agency inputs)
