In a riveting episode of LiSTNR’s The Howie Games: Ashes Diaries, Australian spearhead Mitchell Starc opened up about one of the most chaotic moments leading into the highly anticipated first Ashes Test in Perth. The fast bowler detailed how a seemingly routine Sheffield Shield clash between New South Wales and Victoria turned into a nightmare, resulting in injuries to two key players — Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott.
The match, played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, saw both Hazlewood and Abbott leave the field unexpectedly after lunch on Day 3. While Abbott was soon ruled out of the first Ashes Test with a strain, Hazlewood was initially given the green light. However, further scans revealed a hamstring strain, ruling him out of the Perth Test as well, creating a massive selection void in the Australian pace attack. Starc, who is now set to lead the Australian bowling lineup in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins and Hazlewood, described the emotional impact of the sudden injury crisis.
“I feel for the big fella. Seany [Abbott], his original scan came back, and it wasn’t great news for him. He’s always been so close to being in the Test squads, so hopefully, it’s a speedy recovery for Sean,” Mitchell Starc said reflecting Abbott’s misfortune.
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He also shared how strange it would be to bowl without his long-time bowling partners. “We found out today that his [Hazlewood’s] follow-up scan was not too good. It’s not ideal. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in the squad without Josh [Hazlewood] and Pat [Cummins]; it’s going to be a bit different this week.”
Starc then lifted the lid on the chaos that unfolded on the pitch after both Abbott and Hazlewood walked off. With Steve Smith captaining the Shield game and Starc himself fielding in the gully, confusion spread quickly.
“It was a bit of chaos. I didn’t even see Josh go off originally. He had just finished his spell, and I thought he was changing his kit. Then Sean disappeared too,” he recalled. Amid mounting uncertainty, a quick decision was made: Smith immediately pulled both Starc and Scott Boland—who was playing for Victoria—out of the game to avoid any further risks. “Smithy’s mind was racing, and he quickly put me on ice, and the rest of my quota went to zero,” Starc revealed.
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“We came off for lunch, and it was all a bit of chaos. Scotty Boland was in the other team, and we said, ‘We’ve got a Test match next week, so we’re going to have to cool our heels.’ We can’t take any more chances.”
With Hazlewood ruled out and Cummins nursing a minor issue, the Australian side heads to Perth with a reshuffled attack — and a newfound urgency to tackle England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style.
