Former Australia captain Michael Clarke spread awareness about skin cancer and revealed that he had to undergo minor surgery to remove cancer from his nose.
In the years after his initial diagnosis in 2006, the 44-year-old former Australian captain has had almost a dozen tumors removed, according to 7news. Last year, surgery was necessary to remove a deadly basal cell carcinoma from his chest. In 2023, he underwent separate facial and forehead cancer excisions.
“Skin cancer is real! Especially in Australia. Another one was cut out of my nose today. A friendly reminder to get your skin checked. Prevention is better than cure, but in my case, regular checkups and early detection are key. So grateful that @drbishsoliman_ got it early. @australianskincancerfoundation," Clarke captioned the post.
He told Sunrise that he aims to get examined twice a year since 2023, when he partnered with the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation.
“Just about every time I need to get things zapped off my body, particularly my face, because I’ve spent so much time in the sun. I’ve probably had 20 skin cancers cut out of my body. I get nervous, but I think the advantage is I went from quite a young age, so now I know, minimum twice a year, I’ll make sure I go and get checked. Peace of mind is so important. Australian summer—this sun here is as strong as anywhere in the world,” Clarke said.
Michael Clarke made his Australia debut in 2003 and went on to play 115 Tests, 245 ODIs, and 34 T20Is. He amassed a total of 8643 runs in Tests, 7981 runs in ODIs, and 488 runs in T20Is. He also took 94 wickets, of which 31 were in Tests and 57 in ODIs.
Clarke also led Australia to the 2015 ICC World Cup win and retired from all cricket after the tournament.
