Mitchell Starc suffers deep lacerations on left knee after training mishap

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who was hospitalized yesterday after a fielding mishap, had to undergo a surgery on his leg wound which required 30 stitches. The 26-year-old suffered deep lacerations after colliding with training equipment on Thursday, Cricket Australia said.

“There were no bone fractures or tendon damage to his leg and he underwent surgery to clean the wound and received approximately 30 stitches,” Cricket Australia Chief Medical Officer John Orchard said.

“He will remain in the hospital for the next few days to minimize movement to his leg and will use an extension brace for the next two to three weeks until his stitches are removed.

“At this stage, barring any complications, we are hopeful he is on track to play at the start of the Australian summer.”

The incident happened yesterday in Sydney when he was performing a training drill and dived forward to catch a ball. Unfortunately, while landing Starc fell on his left knee on a training equipment near the pop-up nets.

Starc has time to recover as Cricket Australia decided to rest him and his fellow fast bowling partner Josh Hazlewood for the ODI tour in South Africa.

Australia will play South Africa in the first of a three-Test series, starting in Perth on November 3.

It seems injuries have refused to spare the talented fast bowler. He lost close to six months of international action due to an ankle injury and made his Test comeback in the recently concluded tour of Sri Lanka where in 11 matches across all formats, Starc took 44 wickets at less than 16 runs apiece.