Big Bash LIVE: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes

It’s smokey, it’s hazey, but you can just see the veteran out there (with the other veteran). Hughes is on strike and Nikhil Chaudhary opening the bowling.

“Yeah all good,” Starc tells the Fox Sports coverage. “The old man [turns to Smith] and I have three days left then we can put the feet up. Hopefully I have overs left in the shoulder.”

Starc’s shoulder looked tender after attempting a diving catch on Tuesday in Perth, with lots of massaging and visible pain. He bowled the remaining three overs but it wasn’t clear how it would hold up ahead of tonight. “It’s okay was just a bit of a stinger and stretched a bit in there. But might’ve got it if I was 10 years younger.”

So what did he do? Got straight on the red-eye flight back to Sydney with Smith. Better not to waste a potential full day in Sydney, he said, and the youngins on the team flew the day after. “All things going well we’re on a flight back to Perth tomorrow,” he says. “A few frequent flyer points.”

Starc after the Scorchers match.Credit: Getty Images

Sydney: Steven Smith, Daniel Hughes, Josh Philippe (wk), Moises Henriques (c), Lachlan Shaw, Jack Edwards, Joel Davies, Ben Manenti, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc

Hobart: Tim Ward, Mitchell Owen, Beau Webster, Ben McDermott (c), Nikhil Chaudhary, Matthew Wade (wk), Chris Jordan, Rishad Hossain, Will Prestwidge, Riley Meredith, Billy Stanlake

Knew we’d get to the nuts and bolts at some point. Sydney have just been to Perth and returned with tails between legs after being skittled for 99 in 15 overs at Optus Stadium and ultimately crushed (read all about it), setting up tonight’s must-win ‘Challenger’ match against Hobart for the pleasure of returning to Perth and doing it all again. Under which circumstances Sean Abbott will hope to produce less viral-worthy content.

The captain and quick is out with a hamstring injury *cough* tightness and will play no part in this match or the final, should they be the team to progress and face Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium. I know what you’re thinking: big blow. Major hit to the pursuit of back-to-back titles. Maybe you’re thinking this was all pretty obvious earlier in the week when he missed the elimination final against the Melbourne Stars with the same hamstring injury *cough* tightness.

Nathan Ellis has been ruled out for the remainder of the BBL season.Credit: Getty Images

Whatever, there’s turbulence. But turbulence makes for interesting cricket. Even more so since Ellis’ stand-in skipper Ben McDermott has helpfully told media Smith is “due to fail”. Sounds spicy, doesn’t it. Okay, here’s the real quote: “One thing that is in our favour is that he’s probably due to fail at some point. I’ll leave [bowling strategy] up to Nathan and our bowling coaches and listen to their plans.”

I’m not sure probability theory supports such a prediction, but it’s nice to pretend for a bit when you’re about to face a 36-year-old who’s averaged 70 runs across four outings since joining the Sixers after the Ashes. Only David Warner has a better average, of 86.8.

May as well get straight into it, right? That’s the question we all need answered. Perhaps that Test guy could aim for the roof of the Brewongle Stand again and answer this question via another splendid century against the Hobart Hurricanes. Steve Smith this time won’t have Babar Azam around to knock his opening partner back for a single (it was worth it) because the marquee man is suddenly gone.

The Sixers announced on Thursday Azam had left before tonight’s critical match, returning to Pakistan to “commence preparations for upcoming international matches”. The premature departure followed Mark Waugh’s call for him to be dropped for this ‘Challenger’ final. It had been a strangely disappointing season for the leading runs-scorer in T20 international history, who’s managed just 202 runs at an average of 22.44 with a strike rate of 103.06.

Pakistan have not yet named their squad for next month’s T20 World Cup, nor the squad for their three-game T20 home series against Australia starting on January 29.

Anyway, let’s stop talking about the guy who’s not here and talk about the other guy who’s not here ...