Mitchell Starc to return for Australia against New Zealand

Mitchell Starc still has no idea when he tore his left pectoral muscle but the left-arm quick is over the injury and will return for Australia against NZ on Wednesday.

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Update: Mitchell Starc still has no idea when he tore his left pectoral muscle but the left-arm quick is over the injury and will return for Australia on Wednesday.

Starc missed three months of cricket but bowled off a long run-up for the first time last Friday and told coach Justin Langer he wants match practice before the Aussies jet to Gallipoli on Friday night.

Australia plays an understrength New Zealand at Allan Border Field today and again on Friday and Starc will spear the attack in both matches, where teams can field 12 players.

Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell likely to be rotated in after they missed Steve Smith and David Warner’s return on Monday.
Starc – the player of the 2015 World Cup with 22 wickets at just 10.2 runs – hurt himself while storming back to form against Sri Lanka in the Canberra Test match.
Starc took his 10th wicket with the final delivery of the match and didn’t realise anything was wrong until waking up in pain the next day.

Mitchell Starc is fit again after a pectoral injury and wants to take on New Zealand in Brisbane on Wednesday.

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He then spent four hours driving from Canberra to Sydney with an icepack strapped to his chest for a scan, which confirmed a tear.
“I was a little bit stiff all over, but that was the sixth Test match of the summer,” Starc told News Corp on Tuesday.
“I woke up the next morning and my left pec was rather swollen and puffy and so I said to (wife) Alyssa, ‘Something’s not right here’.
“The fact I looked like Thor on one side of my chest and like (NSW teammate) Trent Copeland on the other painted the picture.
“I still don’t know how it happened, or when it happened. I bowled the last ball of the game and didn’t feel like anything was wrong.

“It’s been a long four months in rehab, but I’m used to it these days.”

Starc suffered his injury against Sri Lanka in Canberra in February. Picture: AFP

Starc revealed he, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins dined with former Australian bowling coach David Saker a few nights ago.
Saker’s relationship with Langer broke down during the summer with Adam Griffith appointed bowling coach for the World Cup and Troy Cooley for the Ashes.
“He (Saker) was fantastic for the bowling group for the time he was involved,” Starc said.
Starc took 22 wickets at just 10.2 runs in the 2015 World Cup and the return of the new-ball star shapes as a big boost to Australia’s trophy defence.

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Australia has won five out of seven ODIs when Starc and Cummins have combined without Hazlewood since the 2015 final.

Starc initially targeted a return against Pakistan in the recent ODI series but was told to focus on the World Cup after suffering a setback.
“It’s not a common cricket injury,” he said.
“I’ve been bowling in Sydney with Josh, Pat, Sean Abbott and a few others.
“But I haven’t had the space to come off a long run, because we’re not allowed on the SCG, so (last Friday) was the first (bowl) off the full run up and it felt really good.
“The first couple were a little bit stuttery, but from then on felt really good. I’m looking forward to hopefully having a little trundle in one of these last two practice games.”

Starc zinged one into Shaun Marsh’s elbow in the nets on Sunday and also let plenty go at Smith.
“We’ve always had entertaining net sessions, whether it be bumper-thons or whatever, it’s always a great contest,” Starc said.
“He loves the challenge of facing the quicks. We love bowling to world-class players like he and Dave and the rest of the boys.”
Starc and Hazlewood (back) have spent the past few months in rehabilitation together.
“They were long weeks in the gym, long gym sessions and long running sessions but it all seems to be going very, very well,” he said.
“It would be great if (the World Cup) started next week.”

Mystery surrounds Richardson’s World Cup bid

Jhye Richardson’s teammates still don’t know if the emerging star will be fit for the World Cup in England with his hopes of recovering from a dislocated shoulder appearing to fade.

Richardson, 22, avoided surgery and is at the training camp in Brisbane but has not bowled since the March 24 injury.

Kane Richardson and 2015 World Cup winner Josh Hazlewood, who were both selected for Australia A, have been told they are on standby.

“(Jhye’s injury) has been closely kept with the medicos and himself,” fellow quick Mitchell Starc said on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure what the rest of week holds for him, but it’s obviously a fairly big injury, the dislocation of a shoulder. He’s had a fantastic 12 months and hopefully he can get right.

“I don’t know exactly what stage (of rehab) he’s at.”

Jhye Richardson is battling to recover from a dislocated shoulder in time for the World Cup. Picture: AFP

West Australian teammate Marcus Stoinis said: “Unfortunately with what he’s gone through we’ll see what happens, hopefully he pulls up fine, but it’s bad timing”.

Another WA quick, Nathan Coulter-Nile, was also unsure where Richardson was at when asked on Monday.

Richardson burst on to the international scene in 2019, making his debut in all three formats as he was hailed a “shining light” by coach Justin Langer.

Crafty death bowler Kane Richardson auditioned for the position with 0/29 (seven overs) against New Zealand on Monday. It is understood Hazlewood (back) will finally be ready to bowl off a long run up by Friday.

Starc said Hazlewood had a “fantastic record” in England, pointing to his 2017 Champions Trophy where he took a career-best 6/52 against New Zealand at Edgbaston.

Originally published as Mitchell Starc to return for Australia against New Zealand