Even as concerns grow over Pat Cummins’ participation for the first Ashes Test, Mitchell Starch has expressed full faith in his captain’s ability to perform without much preparation.
Only six weeks are left for the opening Australia-England Test in Perth. Meanwhile, Cummins has not bowled since July due to a lumbar bone-stress injury and he is currently undergoing rehab.
“Playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn’t need much,” Starc said, while backing his long-time teammate. “Whether he bowls three warm-up balls and the first over the game, he’s on the money, he just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly.
“What it looks like for him in his prep, it’s going to be certainly different to what mine feels and looks like, and that comes with experience and age,” he added.
The left-arm pacer also said that despite recent setbacks to Cummins’ recovery process, the Australian captain is in a good frame of mind. “He’s in good spirits, ultra ultra-positive as always, and there’s still some weeks to go before we get to Perth for the Test prep. So we’ll see where that lands. Hopefully, we see a lot of him through the summer, and we’ll see where we get to in Perth,” he said. “Hopefully, we see a lot of him through the summer.”
If Cummins is unable to play, Starc noted Steve Smith would be the natural choice for captaincy. He also praised Australia’s fast-bowling depth, mentioning Michael Neser, Sean Abbott, and Jhye Richardson as reliable options ready to step in if needed.
For latest sports updates:Follow RevSportz