Pace aces to rest up for home series

Australia will undertake their next international commitment – a month-long ODI tour of South Africa – without their premier strike bowler Mitchell Starc, and his new-ball partner Josh Hazlewood.

The National Selection Panel, chaired by Rod Marsh, has decided that both fast bowlers require a break ahead of a jam-packed home summer schedule and the subsequent four-Test tour of India next February and March and granted them compassionate leave.

Hazlewood’s will begin immediately, with the 25-year-old to return to Australia from Sri Lanka today now that his team has secured the five-match ODI series and given his services are not required for the pair of T20 Internationals that will follow.

Starc, the star performer of Australia’s 3-0 Test series defeat and the first four matches of the ODI component with 33 wickets at less than 17 runs apiece across both formats, will remain in Sri Lanka for the T20 series but then take a month off to prepare for the upcoming summer.

That includes three-Test series against South Africa and Pakistan, home and away ODI competitions against New Zealand and a five-match ODI series against Pakistan before Australia returns to Asia for their defining tour of India.

Quick Single: Starc's sizzling Sri Lanka timeline

“Both Mitchell and Josh have had  big tours of Sri Lanka and have a heavy workload ahead of them with 10 Tests to be played this summer,” Rod Marsh said in announcing the decision that both quicks will miss the South African tour that also includes a one-off ODI against Ireland.

“As such, it is important they are managed appropriately and we believe missing the tour of South Africa is the right time for them to take a break.

“This also provides a good opportunity for some of our up-and-coming fast-bowler to push for selection.

“With a number of bowlers currently coming back from injury it is important for us to continue to build up a battery of quality fast bowlers for Australia.”

With a number of other internationally experienced fast bowlers – including James Pattinson, Pat Cummins, Peter Siddle and now Nathan Coulter-Nile who was forced to return early from Sri Lanka with stress fractures in his back – currently sidelined, the field is open for aspiring seamers to grasp their opportunity.

The squad for the month-long tour of South Africa that begins with the match against Ireland at Benoni on September 27 will be announced at the conclusion of the final match of the ODI series against Sri Lanka which will be played at Pallekele on Sunday.

With Starc expected to be rested from the final ODI at Pallekele, Australia seems likely to enter that dead-rubber match with a bowling attack of seamers John Hastings, Scott Boland and James Faulkner, along with spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa.

Although the premature return to Australia of Hazelwood might open the door for all-rounder Moises Henriques who has missed the past two ODIs of the series after returning scores of 6 and 4 with the bat and claiming one wicket for 88.