Key Points

The 44-year-old former Test captain received his first diagnosis in 2006 and has had several cancers removed in the years since.

“Skin cancer is real! Especially in Australia,” he wrote in an Instagram post with a picture which showed him sitting with a plaster on his nose. “A friendly reminder to get your skin checked. Prevention is better than cure but in my case, regular check-ups and early detection is key. So grateful that (his doctor) got it early.”

In the year 2023, Clarke posted a picture on Instagram showing himself in a hospital bed wearing a cap and gown. 'Skin cancer Friday,' he wrote in his caption, adding, 'Go get checked please'.

Clarke, who has played 115 Tests and 245 one-day internationals for Australia, also underwent surgery in March 2022 to have a skin cancer removed from his forehead. He also required surgery to remove a dangerous basal cell carcinoma from his chest last year.

Speaking to The Telegraph in 2023, Clarke blamed his battle with skin cancers on spending long hours in the sun as a cricketer. 'Imagine fielding all day in India, out there for eight hours in the sun, a lot of the guys are wearing the baggy green cap so you are not protecting your ears or your face. You've got short-sleeved shirts so your arms and the tops of your hands (are exposed)."

Clarke captained Australia in 74 Tests and 139 ODIs, leading the team to a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2013-14 and to the World Cup title in 2015. He was named both ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year 2013 after a prolific run with the bat.

- IANS