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Melbourne: 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.
