Pat Cummins explains Mitchell Starc’s absence for Ashes opener

The Ashes series of 2023 has commenced with the first Test at Birmingham, and England, led by captain Ben Stokes, has won the toss and elected to bat. The decision to bat first comes with confidence in their strong playing XI, which features a blend of experienced players and promising young talents. Stokes, while expressing pride and excitement about the momentous occasion, also acknowledged the challenges faced by the team and the significance of certain player inclusions and unfortunate injuries.

As the highly anticipated Ashes series gets underway, Australian captain Pat Cummins shed light on the team’s decision to leave out Mitchell Starc for the opening Test at Birmingham. Cummins expressed confidence in their choice to bat first after winning the toss, and he also highlighted the importance of managing player workloads in a grueling series like the Ashes. Additionally, he discussed the team’s preparation and eagerness to perform, while acknowledging the challenge England poses.

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Pat Cummins revealed that the Australian team had made a tough call by opting to rest Mitchell Starc for the opening Test. While acknowledging Starc’s exceptional performance in the previous game, Cummins emphasized the value of having a seasoned campaigner like Josh Hazlewood step in. The decision to rotate the fast bowlers reflects the team’s focus on managing their workloads and ensuring the availability of fresh and fit players throughout the series.

Pat Cummins: We’d have batted as well. One change, Mitch Starc out, Hazlewood comes in. Tough call, Starc was really good last game but good to have someone like Hazlewood come in. Tough to manage the workloads, we’ll assess things week by week, but that is a good problem to have. Good preparation to win the WTC final, we went into that fresh, we feel well suited and we are now eager to go. England will come at us, but that’s okay…