Starc hoses down BBL return rumours

Sydney Sixers star Sean Abbott says Mitchell Starc wasn’t willing to parachute in for a one-off return in the BBL final at the expense of an unlucky teammate.

Mitchell Starc has poured cold water on the idea of a one-off return for the Sydney Sixers in Saturday’s Big Bash final, according to fellow spearhead Sean Abbott.

Abbott revealed he’d reached out to Starc as speculation swirled officials were keen to approach the Test paceman to gauge his interest in donning the magenta for the SCG decider.

But Starc, who hasn’t featured in the BBL since the 2014-15 season, wasn’t comfortable replacing an unlucky bowler in the line-up.

“I actually sent him a message about that once I read it in the news,” Abbott said on Tuesday.

“He pretty much told me it wouldn’t sit right with him to come and play a final in front of the other guys that had been here all year.”

The lanky left-armer has been taking a well-earned break from cricket after a long summer in which he appeared for Australia in all five Tests and three ODIs away in India.

“Mitch is obviously one of the best bowlers in the world across all three forms,” Abbott said.

“He’s deserved to take these few weeks off and then make sure he’s right mentally and physically for the cricket coming up. 

“It’s a very tight schedule and we need him playing his best cricket for his country.”

Although they’ve lost top English allrounder Tom Curran to international duties, Abbott insisted the Sixers’ attack still had enough firepower to win without Starc.

“I believe we’ve got a great bowling attack anyway, whether we had Mitch there or not,” he said.

“Both spinners (Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe) are bowling really well, Josh (Hazlewood) has come in and added some great experience and I think Benny Dwarshuis has learned some great lessons and is starting to find some great rhythm.”

The Sixers will host the winner of Thursday’s clash between the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder at the MCG.

But there are fears of a washed-out final, with up to 25mm of rain forecast to hit Sydney on Saturday.