Starc implores selectors to let him loose with pink ball

Mitchell Starc's keenness to get a new pink ball in his hand means it's only selectors who can prevent him lining up for the fifth and final Vodafone Ashes Test in Hobart, but he's not quite so clear-cut on whether he'll nominate for this year's Indian Premier League tournament.

Starc is Australia's second-highest wicket-taker for the series (one behind Nathan Lyon) in addition to being headed only by Usman Khawaja in the batting averages and, as the most successful bowler in the brief history of day-night Tests, would seem a certain starter at Blundstone Arena on Friday.

But the 31-year-old claimed just one wicket in last week's drawn fourth Test at the SCG and none in England's game-saving second innings, prompting national selector Tony Dodemaide to note the wisdom of deploying their strike weapon in a fifth consecutive Test would be discussed in coming days.

Central to that conversation, also involving selection chair George Bailey and men's team coach Justin Langer, is Starc's central role across all formats with Australia facing a hectic playing schedule for the remainder of 2022.

However, Starc today indicated he felt physically fine and mentally fresh and was looking forward to playing his first Test in Hobart in more than five years unless selectors deemed it was his turn to take a break.

"I hope not, it's a pink ball game," he said citing his enthusiasm for the day-night format in which he is the only Test bowler to have reached 50 wickets (at barely 18 runs apiece).

"I'm feeling good.

"It's purely up to the selectors, I'm not looking for a break.

"It's the last Test match of an Ashes series at home, it's the pink ball too so I'd very much like to play."

Starc's fondness for the day-night format, after he was initially sceptical when it pioneered in Australia in 2015, is founded in the similarities he finds between the pink ball and the white one with which he's proved devastatingly effectively in limited-overs cricket.

It's also the left-armer's vital role in all three international formats that has selectors mulling his playing schedule, with Australia eyeing limited-overs campaigns against New Zealand and Sri Lanka immediately after the Ashes campaign.

Dodemaide has confirmed the men's Test team would then depart Australia within a day or two of those commitments finishing to begin a Test and limited-overs tour to Pakistan with a further tour to Sri Lanka due mid-year before Australia hosts the next T20 World Cup later in 2022.

That would ensure virtually 10 months of non-stop cricket for Starc up until the end of the Sri Lanka campaign, which will influence the fast-bowler's thinking over coming days as he weighs up whether to make himself available for the IPL.

He was a regular big-name inclusion in the world's most lucrative domestic T20 competition between 2012 and 2015, but a combination of injury and workload management has seen him absent himself from the IPL for its past six iterations.

Nominations for this year's IPL auction (to take place in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13) close on Friday, and Starc indicated today he is genuinely considering making a return to the competition where he's played 27 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"I've got two days to get my paperwork in, so that might be something to do today before training," Starc said in Hobart today.

"I've not put my name down just yet, but I've got a couple more days to decide on that.

"It's certainly on the table regardless of what the schedule has got coming up.

"I haven't been for six years or so.

"Obviously with a heavy weighting towards T20s over the last period of time and the World Cup coming up later this year, that's one to take into consideration as well.

"There's a bit going on with scheduling and what-not to get our heads around, certainly for us multi-format players.

"The schedules are quite jam-packed when you throw in all the tours, we've got a couple of white-ball series post the Ashes before that Pakistan tour, then you take into consideration the IPL and the Sri Lanka tour after that.

"So it's a massive six months of cricket for everyone."

Starc confirmed the Australia men's playing group had received a briefing from Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers' Association who have recently returned from a reconnaissance trip to Pakistan where Australia has not toured since 1998 due to security concerns.

He said players "will take some time" to process that information before declaring their availability or otherwise for that tour, but their immediate focus remains the final Ashes Test and the opportunity to send England home with their third consecutive winless Test visit to Australia.

Starc was also unsure about the fitness of fellow quick Scott Boland, whose only stumble in an otherwise remarkable ascension to Test cricket came on day four at the SCG when he fell in his follow-through and landed heavily on his right side.

The 32-year-old, whose 14 Test wickets in his first two Tests have come at the extraordinary average of 8.64 apiece, is expected to train at Blundstone Arena today with fast bowlers Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser also pushing for a recall in the series finale if he's ruled out.

"I think he went to the gym yesterday, and no doubt he'll be at training and bowling today," Starc said of Boland who is nursing sore ribs having jammed his right elbow into his side when he hit the SCG pitch.

"He's a quiet character but quite a resilient one, so no doubt he'll be looking forward to taking part in this Test."

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Sam Billings, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 275 runs

Third Test: Australia won by an innings and 14 runs

Fourth Test: Match drawn

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena