Sydney Sixers considering Mitchell Starc's selection for BBL 2021 final
Defending champions Sydney Sixers are 'strongly considering' selecting fast bowler Mitchell Starc for the BBL 2021 final on Saturday.
Mitchell Starc signed with the Sydney Sixers in November last year and aimed to feature in the rear-end of BBL 2021. However, the left-armer was sent for scans on his hamstring following the conclusion of Australia's home Test series against India.
As Mitchell Starc awaits his scan results, his team has advanced into the BBL 2021 final.
Sydney Sixers squeezed past Melbourne Stars before overhauling Perth Scorchers to seal a second straight berth in the final. The summit clash is set be played at their home venue - Sydney Cricket Ground.
"We're still trying to evaluate the final results of all those scans. There (were) delays around those because of the Australia Day weekend that turned into a four-day break, so that information has come a little bit later than we would have liked. That's a job for us in the next couple of days, is to really nut that one out and get to Mitchell Starc and see how he is and make those choices later on in the week," said Sydney Sixers' head coach Greg Shipperd.
I would say its more than likely that Mitchell Starc won't play: Daniel Hughes
However, Sydney Sixers' batsman Daniel Hughes feels that Mitchell Starc is highly unlikely to feature in the final, given there's only a few days left for the match. He said:
"I think given we're pretty close to the game on Saturday, I would say that it's probably more than likely going to be no (Mitchell Starc won’t play). But this is a unique season and stranger things have happened so we'll just wait and see what happens over the next couple of days."
Despite Starc's absence, Sydney Sixers boast a strong bowling lineup, with the likes of Ben Dwarshius and Jackson Bird performing consistently in BBL 2021.
Their attack has further been bolstered by the likes of Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott returning from Australia's Test squad.
Should Mitchell Starc be deemed fit to play, Sydney Sixers will fancy their chances of defending the title. It would also be the 31-year-old's first BBL match since 2014.
The BBL final will take place on February 6.