Australia to miss Starc, Hazlewood on tour of South Africa
MELBOURNE: Australia fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will miss the tour of South Africa to rest ahead of a busy international programme at home, Cricket Australia said on Friday.
Captain Steve Smith was also sent home last week from Sri Lanka to rest before South Africa, where his side will play six One-day Internationals (ODIs), including one against Ireland, before returning home to face the Proteas in three Tests in November.
“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,” chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said in a statement.
“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,” the selector added.
“This also provides a good opportunity for some of our up-and-coming fast bowlers to push for selection.”
Hazlewood will return to Australia from Sri Lanka immediately, Marsh said, and miss the final one-day match and the Twenty20 series.
Starc, however, will remain with the team until the end of the current tour.
Australia, who were hammered 3-0 in the Test series in Sri Lanka, have wrapped up the one-day series with an unassailable 3-1 lead.
The final One-day International is on Sunday in Kandy before two T20 matches. looked like money well spent as play went ahead as scheduled on Thursday, despite steady rain.
But while fans stayed dry, United States Tennis Association (USTA) officials were showered with complaints about the noise inside the cavernous 23,771-seat facility that left umpires pleading for quiet and players unable to hear the ball coming off their racquets.
Wimbledon and Olympic champion Andy Murray, who has played his opening two matches on the showcase court -- one under an open roof, the other closed — said he had noticed a definite rise in noise level but was pleased to have completed his match.
“At first, we didn’t know if there was just more people come in at the change of ends, but then we quickly realised it was the rain,” said Murray, following his 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 win over Spain’s Marcel Granollers on Thursday.
“It was tough, you couldn’t really hear the ball which makes it tricky. But we’re lucky to play under the roof; otherwise there wouldn’t be any tennis so it’s good for everyone.”