Canberra [Australia], October 9 : Australia's left-arm seasoned speedster Mitchell Starc believes Test captain Pat Cummins won't need an extensive amount of preparation for the first Ashes fixture against their oldest rival, England, in Perth on November 21. According to Starc, Cummins remains upbeat even though he has yet to receive clearance to bowl with six weeks to go before the series starts.
With each passing day, doubts continue to grow over Cummins' availability for the Ashes series opener. The 32-year-old speedster is in rehab for the hot spot in his lower back. He has been on the sidelines since bowling his final delivery in Australia's last Test against the West Indies in July.
As of now, Cricket Australia has yet to comment on Cummins' on-field return. Starc weighed in on the raging debate and backed the Baggy Greens skipper by pointing out Cummins' unique ability to play a Test despite a limited warm-up.
"Playing with Pat and being close with Pat, he doesn't need much. Whether he bowls three warm-up balls and the first over of the game, he's on the money; he just knows when to switch on or how to switch on really quickly. So 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," Starc said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
"Having spent so much time with Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat and myself and Scotty [Boland], we all prepare slightly differently. We all feel like we need different things. I feel like at times I need to bowl more around preparation stuff, whether it be training or after layoffs," he added.
Starc has resumed taking strides with the ball in his hand after a long pre-season, having not bowled since Australia's tour of the Caribbean. He will return to the field to enchant spectators with his magic during Australia's three-match ODI home series against India.
The 35-year-old is set to play in New South Wales' round four Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the SCG from November 10-13, which will serve as the ideal preparation for him before the Ashes. Starc revealed that he has been in touch with Cummins, but has seen him less since returning to NSW training.
"He's in good spirits. He's ultra-positive as always, and there are 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," Starc said.
In a scenario where Cummins gets ruled out of the series opener, Australia will face a massive captaincy conundrum. For Starc, the most logical choice would be the talismanic batter Steven Smith, who has captained Australia in 40 Tests.
"We've got a group of us that have played cricket with Steve as captain, anyway. And then the times that he's filled in over the last few seasons for Pat, whether it be for personal reasons, for illness or for injury, it's an easy transition for Steve. He's obviously a very experienced cricket brain and thinks heavily about the game, and we have a team of experienced guys that can give their two cents worth along the journey as well," Starc said.