Cricket fans face Ashes blackout on terrestrial TV Three years ago Cricket Australia sold the highlights package but this time it is Sky's deal to sell and executives have to weigh up the money they can make from a deal with losing exclusivity. There is still time for a last-minute deal to be struck. Three years ago it was announced ITV would carry highlights just a week before the start of the first Test at the Gabba. The opening Test this time around could be missing Michael Clarke, with the captain of Australia admitting on Thursday he is a major doubt for the match starting on Nov 21. He was this week ruled out of the one-day tour to India which starts next week and was pessimistic when asked about his chances of being fit for the opening Test of Australia's bid to regain the Ashes. "There's certainly no guarantee at this stage," Clarke said. It's hard for me to say that because I'm trying my best not to look at it like that. I'm always positive and if they ask me, I'll say I'll be fit in a week's time. But you ask Alex [Kountouris, Australia physio] who knows me very well, and he'd say there'd be doubt I won't be right. I'm making sure I'm doing everything I can to give myself the best chance, plenty of rehab and recovery getting strength back in the areas that support my back. It's a lot of hard work but I'm willing to do the work to make sure I'm right for that first Test. There was further bad news for Australia with fast bowler James Pattinson admitting he will not be fit until at least the third Test in Perth. Pattinson returned home after the Lord's Test this summer with a stress fracture of his back and has not started bowling again. With Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins already ruled out for the Australia summer, Clarke's side are close to a fitness crisis with their bowlers. Mitchell Johnson showed signs of improvement in the one-day series against England but it has always been Test cricket where his frailties are exposed, while Ryan Harris's fitness is a constant worry. "I'm not even running yet which is not great," Pattinson said. I get a scan in two weeks time which is a 12-week scan to determine whether the fracture has healed or not. Go from there, get results back from scan, start running, should be fine. My back feels fine at the moment, I have no pain. Just a bit of a long process. I'm probably a month off bowling. I won't be back for the first Test, don't think I'll be right for the second ... but all things going well I could push for that WACA Test. I'm probably rushing a bit if I'm trying to get back for that first Test and last thing I want is for that to happen again and push my body too far and it's hard enough going through it once without going through it again. Long term is where I'm looking.