It remains a time of transition for Australia’s pace attack, with returning spearhead Mitchell Starc eager for the new-look group to make their own mark.
Starc has impressed in the nets this week and is set to end a six-month layoff at 3am AEST on Monday, when Australia face West Indies in an ODI at Guyana.
The potent left-armer’s importance to Australia can’t be underplayed.
The void left by the retirement of Mitchell Johnson has been extended by injuries to James Pattinson and Pat Cummins.
The ongoing ODI tri-series is also Australia’s first assignment since the resignation of bowling coach Craig McDermott.
“It’s a bit of a changing time,” Starc said.
“We’ve got a chance to cement our own spots in the team and build some more experience as a group and go our own way.
“We all do a great job together and we all pull each other along in games … whether you’ve played one game or 100, I think we all contribute really well.
“We all sort of take on a bit of that leadership … I wouldn’t call myself the leader. I think we all lead the attack quite well together.”
Starc’s modesty can’t hide the fact he will be Steve Smith’s strike weapon this month in the West Indies.
The 26-year-old is regarded by plenty as the best white-ball bowler in the world, having been named player of the 2015 World Cup.
Starc has also played 46 ODIs – more than the combined tally of squad members Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Scott Boland.
The express paceman is on track to break the 100-wicket barrier faster than any bowler in history, having snared 90 scalps in 46 ODIs.
However, it is likely Starc will be forced to rest at some point during the series after an extended break that followed ankle surgery.
“Hopefully I get picked and we take it from there. It’s a bit of play it by ear,” he said.
“I haven’t played a single game in six months.
“I’ve taken time to relax a little bit.
“Get that hunger back … and spend some time in the gym to get that strength back.”
Starc noted he still contacts former teammates Johnson and Ryan Harris for advice, while he was full of praise for outgoing mentor McDermott.
“I’ve got a lot to thank him for,” he said.
“He’s been great with the fast bowling group but unfortunately we’re going to have to move on and focus on this tour without him.”
Adam Griffith is serving as bowling coach on the current trip, with Cricket Australia still searching for McDermott’s permanent replacement.
craig swanson
Guest
BF. Could also be that the problem stems from this obsessive need for speed by CA? Pattinson, Cummins both express pace bowlers..both with long term back trouble. Pattinson has missed something like 40 tests since he debuted in 2011. Cummins could well have missed a similar number following his devastation of a strong Proteas batting lineup four years ago. There is one think that links the two.. their gather at the delivery stride. Could this be what creates so much stress on the back? I noticed that the most recent bloke to go down with stress fractures, Billy Stanlake also has this gather. Josh Hazlewood, Jason Behrendorf and Jackson Bird have also fallen prey to stress fractures. This begs the question why has the other member of Australia's strong bowling lineup. Mitchell Starc not broken down with the same injury? Could it be his languid action from which he can generate some serious pace without too much exertion?
Bearfax
Guest
It must be quite concerning regarding how often our young fast bowlers are having serious injury problems. I know fast bowling takes its toll and they arent the first to suffer serious injury, but it seems almost endemic among the present Australian stable. Pattinson, Cummins, Starc....each have had major injuries at critical times in the development of their respective careers. Each are world class bowlers, yet getting them on the field for any length of time seems hard to achieve. I'm wondering with all the extra games being played now with ODIs, T20s and tests etc whether the limit has been exceeded in what we can expect of express bowlers, and whether a rethink about how they are trained, how many overs per game and how many games they play needs to be examined. We seem to be missing the great attraction of Cummins, Pattinson and Starc playing over several seasons without incident, and they are so marvelous to watch when in full flight.