Sore ankle the main reason for Mitchell Starc skipping the Champions Trophy tournament

The reasons why one of Australia’s best fast bowlers isn’t at the Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan have been revealed.

Star paceman Mitchell Starc has revealed a sore ankle was the main reason he opted out of the Champions Trophy tournament but said “personal views” also played a part in his decision not to play.

Starc, 35, was the only member of Australia’s fast bowling brigade to play in all seven of the national team’s Test matches – five against India and two against Sri Lanka – over the summer.

With Starc’s priority being to be fully fit for Australia’s Test Championship final against South Africa in June at Lord’s, he elected to skip the Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan.

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“There are a few different reasons, some personal views,” Starc said on the Willow Talk podcast in explaining his absence.

“I had a bit of ankle pain through the Test series, so I just need to get that one right.

“Obviously we have the Test final coming up and a West Indies tour after that.

“There is some IPL cricket as well, but the main one at the top of my mind is the Test final … get my body right, play some cricket in the next couple of months and then ready to go for the Test final.

“We find ourselves sitting with a chance to win it for the second time on the trot.”

Starc didn’t elaborate on his “personal views” regarding the Champions Trophy tournament, in which players are locked down in hotels and escorted to training and games under strict security measures.

The Australians, who are also without Starc’s fellow fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in Pakistan, will secure a semi-final spot by beating Afghanistan in Lahore on Friday night.

Originally published as Sore ankle the main reason for Mitchell Starc skipping the Champions Trophy tournament