Mitchell Starc has been dropped for Australia’s T20 World Cup Super 8 clash with Afghanistan.
The superstar fast bowler has taken just three wickets from his four games in the tournament and was blown off the park with 0-37 from three overs against England in the group stage, but has otherwise kept a relatively tight economy rate.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first on Sunday morning (AEST), Aussie skipper Mitch Marsh confirmed that Starc had made way for spinner Ashton Agar, who has been brought in based on the spin-friendly conditions at Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent.
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Agar comes in for his second match of the tournament after he featured in the defeat of Scotland in the group stage.
Australia also rested Starc from the group match against Namibia after he pulled up sore between games, but Marsh said Sunday’s selection call was purely conditions-based.
Starc fetched the most lucrative contract in the history of the IPL for its most recent season.
The Kolkata Knight Riders paid AU$4.43 million for his services and, after a largely shaky tournament, were repaid with a brilliant performance in the final where he produced one of the greatest deliveries in the competition’s history.
A victory for Marsh’s side would end Afghanistan’s push for a spot in the final four and confirm Australia and India as qualifying from the first Super 8 group.
Afghanistan have made two changes to the side that lost to India in their previous game, bringing in Nangeyalia Kharote for his first match of the tournament proper and recalling fellow allrounder Karim Janat.
Specialist batters Hazratullah Zazai and Najibullah Zadran drop out.
The match marks Australia’s first clash against Afghanistan since Glenn Maxwell’s legendary double-century secured a famous comeback win and a semi-final berth at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
– With AAP
