Mitchell Starc will be in Australia squad for trip to Bangladesh despite ankle injury
Monday 14 September 2015 13:15, UK
Cricket Australia say key paceman Mitchell Starc has been fighting a chronic ankle condition during this summer's tour of England.
However, despite bone spurs causing fresh inflammation to the 25-year-old's ankle, it is not the plan for Starc to have surgery at present.
The left arm seamer was named the best player at the World Cup earlier this year as Australia triumphed but he has been suffering from an ankle problem for months.
However, he made it through the 3-2 Ashes series defeat to England with the help of pain-killing injections and, although he sat out the fourth one-day international last week, he had a cortisone injection and played in the fifth match on Sunday, which Australia won to clinch the series.
Cricket Australia released a statement on Monday which read: "Mitchell has a chronic right ankle condition that has required arthroscopic surgery twice during his career.
Until he missed the 4th ODI of the series against England recently, Mitchell has been able to play every T20, ODI and Test for Australia in 2015 (25 games in total) and has not missed a game due to injury in the past 18 months
"It is an injury that the Cricket Australia medical team, coaches and Mitchell have become accustomed to managing for some time.
"During the recent Ashes Test and ODI series in the UK, there have been times when Mitchell has struggled and required cortisone injections to treat the inflammation within the joint.
"As part of his management, we have had regular MRI scans that have confirmed the presence of some bone spurs that cause the inflamed joint.
"Pleasingly, the most recent scan did not show any significant deterioration, despite the heavy playing schedule in the past 12 months, and he has generally coped OK.
"We have also had specialist surgical opinion, and advice so far is that surgery is not required at the moment.
"It is also pleasing that, until he missed the fourth ODI of the series against England recently, Mitchell has been able to play every T20, ODI and Test for Australia in 2015 (25 games in total) and has not missed a game due to injury in the past 18 months."
The Cricket Australia statement added: "Our plan is to continue to manage Mitchell and monitor how his ankle responds.
"While surgery has been discussed, like most other situations, it is a last resort, particularly as it will involve a lengthy lay-off from playing (three to five months).
"Mitchell has had similar surgery in the past and understands the amount of time and effort that is required to return to playing at his best.
"We will be guided by the surgeon on the need for surgery but are hopeful that will not be necessary in the short term."
National selector Rodney Marsh said: "My understanding of Starc is that he can keep going until it actually gets a hell of a lot worse, and then he will have to have an operation. Rest won't help him.
"He has got spurs in his ankle and there is a bit of bone that has broken off and floating, and every now and then it gets into a position where it is just chronically painful.
"Eventually it is going to have to be removed but it will take another three or four months after the operation for him to be able to play again.
"We have got some pretty important cricket coming, including the T20 World Cup, and we would like to see Starc lead the attack for that but, if he can't, he can't. At the moment, the plan is for him to keep going."
Starc has been on the road with the Australia squad for the last five months but will now head back to Australia for 10 days' rest before heading to the subcontinent for two Tests against Bangladesh.
