BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Australia’s coach Justin Langer says fit-again seamer Mitchell Starc’s workload will be carefully managed during the Tri-Nations Series against West Indies and South Africa starting next week in the Caribbean.
The left-arm seamer Starc has recently returned to action after being sidelined for six months following ankle surgery last year.
And though he has been impressive in the nets and bowling at full tilt during training sessions, Langer said it would be important not to over-bowl him.
“He’s had such an impact on international cricket over the last few years, but we’ll have to manage him well as well – he hasn’t bowled for a long time,” said Langer, who is standing-in for regular head coach Darren Lehman.
“Coming from no cricket, and that’s including no practice games, straight into international cricket, he’s got some challenges ahead, but it’s not just about this tour for him, it’s about the next very busy year.”
Starc has been outstanding for Australia over the last year, picking up 22 wickets at the ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, to finish as the highest wicket-taker.
Overall, the 26-year-old has taken 90 wickets from 46 One-Day Internationals and needs just ten wickets in the next games, to become the fastest to triple figures.’
He will lead an attack that includes fellow speedsters Nathan Coulter-Nile, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood but Langer does not envision him playing every single game of the June 3-26 tournament.
“I think I’ll look to play him for three or four of hopefully the seven games – that’s the plan so far,” he explained.
“But management is a dirty word in cricket, particularly with bowlers. But for guys like him and Josh Hazlewood, who haven’t played in a while, we have to be sure that not just for the short-term, but for the long-term, we get the benefits.” The Tri-Nations bowls off with the first leg in Guyana, continues with the second leg in St Kitts before wrapping up in Barbados.