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Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been cleared to play in today’s World Cup clash against Sri Lanka after the pacer was struck on the leg while training this week. Starc was struck by a return ball just above his right knee when he was bowling at practice. The left-arm fast bowler was seen limping off with an injured leg in the training session held at the ICC Academy on Tuesday night in Dubai.
A video posted in Australian media showed Starc grimacing and hobbling away from the net session. However, Starc trained and bowled on Wednesday with a compression sleeve on his right leg, which could be a good sign that the injury is not a serious one. Coach Justin Langer confirmed that Starc is fit to face Sri Lanka after the injury scare
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Starc played in Australia’s opening game against South Africa on Saturday, which the Aussies won by five wickets. The 31-year old played a key role in the win as he scalped two wickets in Australia's hard-fought win on Saturday. The disciplined bowling performance helped Australia restrict South Africa to 118/9.
Notably, Starc had taken a nearly six-month break from cricket before arriving in UAE for the ICC T20 World Cup. He had trained with the Australian women's team in Queensland, along with his wife Alyssa Healy. If Starc is unfit to play against Sri Lanka, Australia have Kane Richardson in reserve while the team management could also go with all-rounder Ashton Agar if they feel the need for a second specialist spinner.