Shane Warne column: Mitch Starc will not play in the first Ashes Test
Aussie cricket legend Shane Warne has blasted Test selectors for missing a golden opportunity to blood a host of youngsters, while igniting a fresh war of words with his old sparring partner Mitch Starc.
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Mitchell Starc will not be playing in the first Ashes Test match against England at Edgbaston.
Starc is going to miss out when Josh Hazlewood returns from a back injury.
Jhye Richardson is a lock for the start of the Ashes and he bowls a length that is perfect for English conditions.
Richardson’s debut last week was as good a debut as I’ve seen for a very long time. So Richardson is in, Hazlewood is in and, of course, Pat Cummins is in.
That means Starc is out. So why play Starc in Canberra? It will be a waste by the selectors, who should have had a look at a Chris Tremain or a Scott Boland or even a wildcard in young Riley Meredith from Hobart.
I’m a huge fan of Meredith and believe he’ll be playing for Australia in all forms of the game within the next 12 months.
Starc’s form is getting worse and worse. I’ve alluded to the fact over the past 12 months that his numbers have been very ordinary, especially against the top six batsmen.
But he would not have been my only omission for Friday’s Test match in Canberra.
MY THREE CHANGES
I would liked to have seen Marcus Stoinis and Will Pucovski receive their baggy green caps at Manuka Oval.
We’re not trying to devalue a Test match, but it is the right time to look at a couple of these guys at this level and see how they play.
Hopefully they would have had some success against a depleted Sri Lankan team before the Ashes.
Making your Test debut in an Ashes series in England is the hardest assignment for any Australian player.
That is why I think the selectors missed a trick by not playing Pucovski, 20, at the Gabba.
They should have given him a go — he’s the best young batsman we’ve seen in a long, long time, so why make him wait for an opportunity?
STOINIS IS THE MAN
This whole summer I think the selectors were looking for Stoinis to play a smart innings, especially in red-ball cricket.
Not just make 30, look fantastic, slog a few and get out and not tough it out.
That to me says they’ve been looking for some match awareness from him and some tough runs.
I agree with that, but what I think the selectors are missing is Stoinis brings a lot more to the table than just bat and ball.
He’s got a lot of intensity, he’s got that X-factor about him and he’s a matchwinner.
He’s one of those players who has the ability to drag the team with him.
Stoinis has got character and spirit about him, a bit like a Merv Hughes or an Andrew Flintoff or a Darren Gough.
I know it’s just a Twenty20 game, but who was the man the Melbourne Stars turned to with the ball against Brisbane on Sunday and got it done?
In a tough situation and in a must-win game, Stoinis gets 4-21, thank you very much.
It wasn’t just the wickets either, it was the way he did and when he did it.
I know it’s only Twenty20, and it’s nothing like a Test match, but he will adapt because he’s a quality player.
The higher the standard the better he plays — in Shield cricket I know his records aren’t great, but I think it’s a bit easier for him and that’s why he makes mistakes.
I think he needs to be tested and challenged, and he’ll prove how good he is at Test level.
WHO MAKES WAY?
I would have dropped Usman Khawaja, because he needs a kick up the backside.
Khawaja had one really good innings in Perth (72 off 213) where he fought, but he’s giving up his wicket too easily and his performances have been very ordinary.
He will probably play at Edgbaston, but he’s not a lock.
He most likely plays, unless Pucovski got a chance and made a big score. Pucovski should have got that chance.
As for the other change, I think Joe Burns should probably miss out, as much as I’d love to give him another go.
Why not get Pucovski to open and see how he goes against the new ball?
I’d throw him in the deep end and see how organised he is and test his technique against the new ball.
I know Australia played great at the Gabba and you don’t want to change a winning team, but this is the last Test before the first ball at Edgbaston and it’s against a very depleted Sri Lanka.
The tourists have lost their two best bowlers, so I’m not sure how they’re going to get Australia out — plus, they’re really struggling with the bounce of Australian pitches.
I know it sounds harsh, but this is about the bigger picture.
It’s a great opportunity to give a couple of young kids a go before you pick your Ashes squad.
MY XI FOR CANBERRA
Marcus Harris
Will Pucovski
Marnus Labuschagne
Kurtis Patterson
Travis Head
Marcus Stoinis
Tim Paine
Pat Cummins
Nathan Lyon
Jhye Richardson
Chris Tremain/Scott Boland/Riley Meredith
IN: Pucovski, Stoinis and one of Tremain, Boland or Meredith
OUT: Burns, Khawaja, Starc
Why not get Pucovski to open and see how he goes against the new ball? Let’s throw him in the deep end and see how organised he is and test his technique with the new ball.
I know Australia played great at the Gabba and you don’t want to change a winning team, but this is the last Test match before the first ball at Edgbaston and it’s against a very depleted Sri Lanka.
They’ve lost their two best bowlers, so I’m not sure how they’re going to get Australia out. Plus, they’re really struggling with the bounce of Australian pitches.
I know it sounds harsh but this is about the bigger picture. It’s a great opportunity against a depleted Sri Lanka to give a couple of young kids a go before you pick your Ashes squad.
THE NEW BALL
I’ve been calling for Pat Cummins to take the new ball in this column through the whole summer, and I think that was justified at the start of day three at the Gabba.
Cummins did open the bowling and he set the tone with Richardson, and the figures backed up why he should always get the new ball.
It’s time for Australia to start setting the tone with the new ball rather than taking Mitchell Starc off after two overs.
THE RESULT
Australia will win convincingly and the only reason this Test match will last longer than the Gabba is because Australia will bat better against a very depleted attack.
The conditions will be different but I think the result will be the same. It’ll probably go four days because Australia will bat for two of them.
Sri Lanka will look more like a grade cricket attack than an international attack, and their batting is not much better with a couple of their best players out of form.
There’s a lot of wickets around for the Australian bowlers, although it’ll be a bit more difficult on a flat pitch in Canberra.
Sri Lanka should’ve taken a leaf out of India’s book and worked out what they did well.
Although Sri Lanka is ranked very similar to Australia in the ICC Test rankings, there’s a huge gap between the teams, which was illustrated in Brisbane.
I would expect more from Sri Lanka for the Warne- Muralitharan trophy. They need to stand up and fight.
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