'Smithy's mind was racing, and he quickly put me on ice': Mitchell Starc reveals chaotic lunch break on learning about injuries to Ashes-bound pacers

Australia's left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc is set to lead the pace attack in Ashes 2025-26 opener at Perth Stadium. In addition to skipper Pat Cummins, injuries to Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield game left the pace attack depleted. What was supposed to be a preparation game for the Ashes to shake off any rustiness, turned out to be a nightmare for Australia's stand-in skipper Steve Smith who was leading New South Wales against Victoria.

Starc expressed how Abbott has been unlucky and how Australia will miss the services of Hazlewood and Cummins.

“I feel for the big fella. Seany [Abbott], his original scan came back, and it wasn’t great news for him. He’s always been so close to being in the Test squads, so hopefully it’s a speedy recovery for Sean,” Starc said on LiSTNR’s The Howie Games: Ashes Diaries.

“We found out today that his [Hazlewood’s] follow-up scan was not too good. It’s not ideal. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in the squad without Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat [Cummins] it’s going to be a bit different this week.”

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Starc recalled how he learned about injuries to Abbott and Hazlewood. It led to Smith taking the call to not give the ball to Starc in an attempt to avoid any further injury to the remaining pace attack.

“On the ground, it was a bit of chaos. I didn’t even see Josh go off the field originally. He finished the over and it was meant to be the end of his spell anyway, so I thought he was just getting a fresh kit on. Sean disappeared as well, and then we were scrambling a little bit — Smithy being captain, and I was in the gully — and we got the message that neither of the boys were going to bowl again, and Josh had awareness in his hammy.

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“Smithy’s mind was racing, and he quickly put me on ice, and the rest of my quota went to zero. We came off for lunch and it was all a bit of chaos. Scotty Boland was in the other team, and we were like, ‘We’ve got a Test match next week, so we’re going to have to cool our heels.’ We can’t take any more chances,” said the 35-year-old.

Starc’s bowling in pre-Ashes game

Starc bowled well in the lead up to the Ashes. He claimed a four-fer in the first innings. In the second innings, he bowled 13 overs including one maiden, conceded 48 runs and claimed the wicket of Victoria opener Harry Dixon for the second time in the game.

Who will replace injured Josh Hazlewood in Perth Test?

While Scott Boland walks in for Cummins, Brendan Doggett is set to make his Test debut against Ben Stokes’ England. The 31-year-old has been in sensational form, picking 13 wickets in two games including two fifers.