Would anyone care if Starc not in the squad? Tubby on the money again?
https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/cri...-wickets-at-manuka/ar-BBSZCGk?ocid=spartanntp
Australia's Big Three fast bowlers is on the verge of becoming a Big Two. Mitchell Starc's membership is in danger of being revoked.
This has not been a great summer for the big quick which is why it's so important he gets something out of the final Test of the season.
Starcy's numbers - 15 wickets at 36 - are not awful but they do not show how inconsistent he has been. His pace is still up but control is an ongoing issue. There were spells in Brisbane where he bowled on both sides of the pitch, just as he did at a crucial stage in Adelaide.
I no longer have him as a certainty for the Ashes, but as a probable. My issue with him in England is his inability to maintain pressure. He took a bag of six and five in 2015 but he leaked four to five runs an over in those innings and Australia lost comfortably. His higher run rate places extra pressure on the other two quicks to keep it tight.
His advantage is that as a left-armer he gives the attack a point of difference but some of Australia's express-pace quicks of the past, like Jeff Thomson, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, had higher averages in England compared to the rest of their career.
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, if fit, will go. It's hard to leave out Jhye Richardson, who can bowl fast outswing.
I have Starcy in a battle with Peter Siddle, Dan Worrall, Chadd Sayers, Chris Tremain and Trent Copeland for the two remaining fast-bowling berths.
There's a spot for Starc because he can be a match-winner but it's time he became one again. The last spot should go to the bowler who can swing the ball the most.
Like Starc, Usman Khawaja needs to end the season on a high. It's hard to think he could finish the summer with doubts over his position.
I still have faith in Usman but I am concerned for him if selectors are worried about having three left-handers in the top three.
The return of Steve Smith will be a big boost to a middle order that is starting to take shape.
But I'm not convinced about Travis Head, particularly against pace. His footwork to the quicks is questionable but what I do like is his willingness to take the attack to the bowlers.
Short format here to stay
As a member of the Cricket Australia board which introduced the Big Bash League, it may surprise a few that Twenty20 is not my favoured format.
Tests and one-day internationals are more in keeping with the game I remember but then again I am 54 - hardly the target audience for CA.
I do not dislike the shortest form but my consumption of the BBL this season has been reduced to highlights here and there. I rarely watch a full match.
It's a snack-sized version of the game that is the perfect vehicle to attract newcomers to the game. My friends tell me their kids cannot get enough of the BBL.
I see the BBL as cricket's version of the home run derby. Some say it's flimsy, lacks substance and have bemoaned the quality but others love the entertainment.
Unlike the major football codes, cricket has been a top-down game in the sense that fans have traditionally been drawn in by the Australian team and will not have allegiances to the eight clubs. The kids of today, however, can come in via their BBL team just as rugby league or AFL fans fall in love with the sport through their club.
The BBL has been an undoubted success in its ability to put bums on seats, draw big TV ratings and put money back into the game. It's here to stay.
Mark Taylor played 104 Tests for Australia, 50 of them as captain, and is a former Cricket Australia board member.
