Starc doubtful for NZ tour: Marsh

National Selector Rod Marsh has cast serious doubt over the availability of injured fast-bowler Mitchell Starc for the two-Test series against New Zealand in February.

Marsh has also given a strong indication that Josh Hazlewood is in line to be rested at some point over the summer as Australia continue to juggle a pace attack that has been hit hard by injury and retirement this year.

Starc will miss the upcoming Tests against the West Indies due to a stress fracture in his right foot, which restricted him to just nine overs in the third Test against NZ last week.

The left-armer has also been managing bone spurs in his right ankle throughout the year, an injury that will eventually require surgery.

On Sunday, bowling coach Craig McDermott expressed his optimism that Starc would be available for the return series against the Black Caps, starting in Wellington on February 12.

A day later, Starc himself declined to put a timeframe on a possible return to playing.

Starc puts no timeframe on return to cricket

And on Tuesday, Marsh put a significant cloud over the left-armer's participation in the NZ tour, and also put a question mark on his availability for the World T20 in March and April.

"It’s pretty hard being a humble selector becoming a doctor and telling people when to have surgery, so we don’t really get involved in that," Marsh said.

"In an ideal world once again we’d love to have Mitchell Starc playing against New Zealand in the Test series (in February) – I don’t think that will happen.

"In an ideal world we’d like to have him playing in the (T20) World Cup – it may happen.

"But if it’s two different lots of surgery then we mightn’t see much of Mitchell for a little while and we’ve got to think of the kid’s health and the medical people will always keep that in mind so he’ll be back when he’s back."

Bupa Support Team physiotherapist David Beakley clarified the issue of Starc requiring surgery.

"Given that Mitchell now has a lay-off with his foot injury we will take this opportunity to meet with specialists in Sydney this week to get an opinion on whether or not surgery is required at this point in time for his ongoing ankle issues," Beakley said.

"We will look to provide an update later in the week but at this stage we do not have confirmed timeframes for his return to play."

Starc will spend the next three or four weeks in a moonboot and will be reassessed by medical staff before his return to cricket is determined.

Marsh hinted that Hazlewood, who carried a heavy workload against the Black Caps last month, was due for a rest.

Captain Steve Smith indicated before the Adelaide Test that Hazlewood's workloads were entering into a dangerous zone, and on Sunday he warned against "breaking" the 24-year-old after he earned man-of-the-match honours in the historic pink ball match..

"It would be very difficult for Josh to get through six Test matches in a summer and then go to New Zealand and play two more and you’ve got to understand we’ve also got a one day series," Marsh said.

"We’ll just see how he’s tracking. If he’s strong and he’s fit and it helps if you don’t have to play five day Test matches too. It really does.

"I think the last couple of days of a Test match can be quite difficult for a fast bowler if you’re bowling 60 plus overs in a Test."

Having started the summer with a pace attack of Starc, Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson, Australia look set to field a completely different trio at some point over the summer.

On Tuesday, uncapped quick Nathan Coulter-Nile replaced Starc in the 12-man squad for the first Test against the Windies, while little known Victorian Scott Boland was placed on standby.

Coulter-Nile, who has himself battled a series of injuries over the past 12 months, joins Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson as part of a new look four-man pace attack.

Quick Single: NCN called up, Boland on standby

The loss of Johnson following his retirement last month and now Starc through injury comes on the back of Ryan Harris’ own retirement on the eve of the Ashes earlier this year, as well as the serious back injury suffered by young tyro Pat Cummins.

"I’ve said I don’t know how many times that we’ve got to have a battery of 10 fast bowlers," Marsh said.

"And I know everyone out there looks at me as if I’m an idiot when I say that but I tell you what; we’ve got to have a battery of 10 fast bowlers and if we come up now with a good attack for this Test match – which I think we have – and for the following two Test matches, and the one after that and the one after that, we’ll have called on a lot of fast bowlers.

"That’s one thing I can promise you because they just don’t get through a lot of Test matches in a row."