Starc admits to being rusty ahead of Perth
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc is confident of doing well in the first Test against South Africa, but admits he would have liked a few more overs under his belt.
Starc suffered a gruesome shin injury six weeks ago during training, and says the wound is still healing, and he’s not played as much cricket as he’d have liked before facing the Proteas.
When asked about the injury, he was typically descriptive, saying: “It’s still open, clean it every day, put a patch on it and away you go.
“It’s still a little bit opened, so it’s probably going to take a couple of weeks [to heal]. It’s not bleeding, it’s healing nicely. It’s all clean.
“I think when I started bowling and running again it just sort of stretched the skin a little bit. It’s not a bad thing, it needed to stretch anyway. But it probably just delayed the healing a little bit.”
He then added: “[Without the injury] I would have obviously played a couple of Matador games and played the full Shield game as well.
“So I’m probably – hard to say, probably a week or week-and-a-half behind where I would have liked to be.
“Being in a brace for four weeks – I couldn’t sweat on the wound, so I couldn’t run or do all of the gym sessions I wanted to do.
“So I was a fair bit behind at the start and tried to catch up at the end.
“I’m still a little bit behind where I would have liked but it hasn’t cost me any cricket for Australia so I’m ready to go.”
Starc is actually more fit now than he was in the past, when he had to deal with ankle issues before his surgery earlier this year. He hopes to play all Tests at home this summer.
He added: “I’d love to play a whole summer for a change, whether it be through rotation or injury or bad form I haven’t managed to do that yet.
“So I think I just put that on myself really, to be there for all six Tests and bowling well enough to be selected for all of those Test matches along with the one-day games this summer.”
Latest
-
News
On this day in 2018: Australian trio banned after ball-tampering saga
The trio were handed their punishments on March 28, 2018.
-
County Cricket
Surrey stars eager to help Alec Stewart sign off with more silverware
Stewart has guided Surrey to three County Championship wins during his decade in charge.
-
Women's Cricket
Maia Bouchier smashes 91 as England Women seal T20 series victory
England made 177 for three and then restricted New Zealand to 130 for seven.
-
County Cricket
Yorkshire boosted by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s early-season availability
Both players are not at the Indian Premier League.
-
England
Ollie Pope ‘itching’ to get back scoring runs after ‘frustrating’ tour of India
The England vice-captain hit a superb 196 in Hyderabad, but averaged only 14.75 in the next four Tests of the India series.
-
Women's Cricket
Ellyse Perry says Ashes Test at MCG ‘amazing’ but unsure about four-day return
Australia will host England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes early next year.
-
County Cricket
Harry Brook set to return for start of Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India in January due to personal reasons.
-
England
England spinner Tom Hartley expects his exploits in India to be ‘life changing’
Hartley’s second-innings haul of seven for 62 in Hyderabad delivered one England’s greatest ever overseas victories.
-
Women's Cricket
Heather Knight urges more composure from England after New Zealand collapse
The tourists needed just 29 from 29 balls with eight wickets in hand.
-
Australia
On this day in 2018: Australia ‘sandpapergate’ ball-tampering controversy erupts
The incident led to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft being banned from playing for Australia.