Australian T20 star Mitchell Starc picks up leg injury ahead of World Cup match

Australia has been dealt a cruel injury blow in the lead-up to the clash with Sri Lanka, with Mitchell Starc picking up a leg complaint.

Mitchell Starc appears in doubt for Australia's second game of the T20 World Cup. Picture: Fox Sports/Getty

Australia’s chances of winning back-to-back T20 World Cup games have been dealt a cruel blow after veteran quick Mitchell Starc picked up a leg injury at training during the week.

Starc’s status remains unknown just hours out from the clash against Sri Lanka after suffering the previlously unreported injury 36 hours ago, on Tuesday night, Dubai time.

He was in visible anguish and was attended to by medical staff.

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Photos taken at training the following day showed Starc up and about but with strapping on his right leg.

Starc took two wickets in the win over South Africa but the injury has threatened to force him out of the follow-up clash, which begins at 1am on Friday (AEDT).

Mitchell Starc is one third of Australia’s ‘big three’ fast bowlers, along with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Picture: Aamir Qureshi / AFP

If coach Justin Langer continues to structure the Aussie attack around pace, Starc could be subbed out for Kane Richardson.

If not, spinner Ashton Agar, who has taken the most wickets of any Australian T20I bowler in the last two years, would likely come into the side.

Langer said on Sunday it was “tough” to exclude Richardson and Agar from the 11 that defeated South Africa in Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening (AEDT).

Before the practice matches for the T20 World Cup, Starc hadn’t played a game of cricket in more than two months, having last lined up for Australia in the disappointing tour of Bangladesh in August.

In the interim, he joined his wife, star wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy, and the Australian women’s squad for the recent series against India.

“For me, I’ve spent a fair bit of time with the Australian women’s team and Alyssa. That was a good period of mental and physical preparation for me,” he told reporters earlier this month.