Starc and Bird to undergo treatment for back injuries

Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday said that pacers Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird will be kept under close watch after the duo cut short their tour to England due to back injuries.

While Starc is expected to be out of action for a prolonged period due to a lower-back stress fracture, Bird has soreness in his lower back region but his injury is not as severe as that of his teammate.

"Jackson returned home from the tour of England with some lower back soreness. We have ruled out a major injury but will review scans in two weeks to confirm this," said Justin Paoloni, CA's chief medical officer.

Bird has played three Tests and the 26-year-old is likely to return for the The Ashes at home. Starc (23) on the other hand, may not get to play in the immediate future.

"Mitch Starc had scans following his arrival back to Australia and they have shown an early stage low back stress fracture. His management plan will be determined in the coming days but he is expected to be unavailable for a prolonged period," said Paoloni.

Australia have an infamous statistic of talented but injured fast bowlers. Starc is another addition to the list. Pat Howard, team performance manager of the national side, however said that he is confident that the cricketer will bounce back.

"While it's a disappointing result for Mitch, we know he will bounce back. Starc, James Pattinson and Pat Cummins are all under 24 years of age and we are certainly well aware that until fast bowlers get into their mid-20s they are more susceptible to injury."

The Australian side is currently playing a 5-ODI series against England and registered a massive win in the second match. The return of Starc and Bird, once fit, will only bolster the team which recently suffered a humiliating Ashes defeat.