Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is back to full fitness and has recovered completely from his foot fracture. He is all set to make his comeback during the tri-series in the West Indies, scheduled to begin on June 3, which also involves South Africa. Starc, last played in November, in the day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide, where he succumbed to an ankle injury.
"It's been a long time coming, [I've been] watching a lot of cricket, so yeah, excited to get on that plane tomorrow, head off, and hopefully play a few games in the West Indies," Starc said, at a pre-departure press conference on Thursday.
The Aussie had to undergo a surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle, which had been a cause of trouble for the pacer throughout his career. He is very positive about his form and is good to go.
"There's no pain in the ankle or foot, so [I've] been really happy with it, it's come along really well. Had a good three or four months in the gym to get a bit of size back on and I'm feeling really good. Fit, strong and ready to play some cricket,” Starc said.
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The bowler believes that the injury occurred due to overuse rather than technical problems with his actions, so he would not need to modify anything in his bowling action. He also admitted that the ankle spurs would remain a recurring issue.
"I'm sure the spurs will come back again. I guess it's just part of fast bowling, the impact that we put through our body, especially that front foot, so yeah, taking that bit of bone out of the back is going to solve that issue [...] I'm sure the spurs will come back somewhere down the line, hopefully a lot longer down the line."
The 26-year-old missed out on the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, and his absence was deeply felt in the Royal Challengers Bangalore dugout, the franchise that he plays for in the IPL. Starc has been a part of RCB since 2014 and has picked up a storming 34 wickets in 26 innings, at an economy of 7.16, while also having four three-wickets hauls to his name.
Australia are scheduled to play a tri-series in the West Indies, which will include nine One-Day Internationals and will commence on 3 June.
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