MITCHELL Starc may be fit for an early return in the IPL, however it’s highly doubtful Cricket Australia would give him the green light to make his comeback in the lucrative tournament.
The left-arm spearhead has virtually ruled himself out of the World Twenty20 in March, however his recovery from ankle surgery and a foot fracture is ahead of schedule to the point he could be available for a big IPL payday in April.
Starc went under the knife to shave back bone spurs in his ankle just before Christmas and is now waiting for his foot to heal itself.
Shane Watson always felt the IPL was an ideal platform to build his body up with bowling loads, however CA are unlikely to risk his involvement in the helter-skelter tournament.
Despite the riches on offer for players at the IPL, Cricket Australia is uncompromising in making international cricket the priority.
Starc could return for a one-day series in the West Indies in June, but the primary focus from CA is to have him fit and firing for the Test series in Sri Lanka later in the winter.
The best-case scenario for Starc could be to take part in the back half of the IPL provided CA could be convinced he’s 100 per cent fit.
“I don’t really know (a return date). I go down and see the surgeon again in the next couple of days to see how the progress is with the wounds and all that sort of stuff,” he said.
“But from all reports the surgery has gone really well. It’s more just waiting for the fracture in the foot to heal more than anything now. The ankle is going really well. Movement in it is really good at the moment.
Mitchell Starc (R) on crutches at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Sarah Reed.Source:News Corp Australia
“Hopefully I’ll get this boot off in the next couple of days and start doing some more than just sitting on the couch.”
Starc hopes to be running again in six weeks but is unclear on his return date to the playing field.
However, the fact he indicates he will only just miss the World Twenty20 indicates that the IPL is a very realistic possibility if his rehabilitation goes to plan.
“That could be a possibility. I don’t know at this stage. Again, it comes back to when I start bowling and how (the ankle) reacts to the bowling back on it again,” Starc said.
“I guess there is no real time frame. There is the West Indies tri-series after that as well. There’s cricket all throughout the year.
“I don’t want to rush it. I want to make sure it’s 100 per cent because I’ve been rushed back before and been dropped after a game. I’ll make sure it’s 100 per cent before I play my first game.”
Mitchell Starc celebrates trapping Kane Williamson LBW in the historic day-night Test at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Sarah Reed.Source:News Corp Australia
Starc has been playing through the pain barrier for years with his bone spurs issue and says he’s relieved he’s finally bitten the bullet and had surgery.
Even with the spurs he broke the 160km/h barrier this summer in the Test in Perth and hopes he can quickly return to those speeds when he’s back in action.
In the meantime, Australia have been hit by a depth crisis in their fast bowling stocks but Starc has backed unheralded names Joel Paris and Scott Boland to cash in on their opportunity starting with the one-day series against India kicking off on January 12.
“It’s a great opportunity for them. I guess when you’re not going to take part in the next three or four months, it’s a great opportunity for them to get their first chance of international cricket,” said Starc.
“They’ve been bowling really well in state cricket for a number of years now and it’s a huge opportunity to get their foot in the door. It’s a chance for them to try to cement a spot with a few injuries and a bit of a changing time in the bowling stock anyway.”