Starc joins WBBL commentary team

Australian fast-bowler Mitchell Starc will be in the commentary box for Network Ten on Saturday afternoon, not for the men’s KFC Big Bash League Sydney Smash, but for the women’s game that precedes it.

Starc, who is currently sidelined due to foot and ankle surgery, has taken to off-field pursuits to fill his time instead.

The pace ace will look to throw down a few sharp ones of his own behind the mic when he commentates on the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League game for Network Ten alongside regular broadcaster Andy Maher and former Southern Star Melanie Jones, while fellow broadcaster Lisa Sthalekar is playing for the Sixers.

Starc’s presence should make for an entertaining and insightful broadcast, not least because his fiancé and Southern Stars wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy will be mic’d up too, albeit on-field.

Quick single: WBBL triple header, triple excitement

Starc and Healy said they were confident no domestic arguments will be played out on television.

"I’ll have the microphone for three hours, she’ll only be on air for a couple of minutes, so she’ll want to be careful what she says to me because I’ll have the last laugh,’’ a smiling Starc told News Corp.

Healy said she was looking forward to being mic’ed up during the match.

"But it might be a little more of a distraction if Mitch is in my ear," Healy said.

"It will be interesting to see how that conversation goes."

After scoring a blistering 81 off 54 balls against the Melbourne Renegades last weekend, Healy will be integral to the Sydney Sixers chances of making the finals of the inaugural WBBL next week.

Watch: Sixers topple Scorchers 

The Sixers, who will need to win all three of their remaining matches to cement a finals berth, take on local rivals and top-of-the-table Sydney Thunder in the women’s Sydney Smash kicking off at 1.40pm AEDT at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 

The match, originally scheduled to be aired on Network Ten’s digital channel ONE HD, has been promoted to Ten’s main channel, Channel 10, on the back of strong viewing figures for the women’s tournament.

The Melbourne derby two weeks ago, played between the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades at the MCG, recorded a peak television audience of 439,000 viewers and a record national average of 372,000. Last week’s match between the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder was played in front of a record crowd of 14,611 at the Etihad Stadium and the SCG is hoping to surpass that number this weekend.