Injured Starc signals international return

Injured fast bowler Mitch Starc is expecting to be available for Australia's one-day tour of the UAE next month if his rehabilitation goes according to plan.

The left-armer sustained a left pectoral injury while bowling on the final day of Australia's 366-run win in the second Domain Test against Sri Lanka in Canberra, where he was named player of the match for his haul of 10-100.

Starc will miss Australia's upcoming limited-overs tour of India and says he's still a "couple of weeks" away from bowling.

But the 28-year-old sounded confident that he'd be right to go for the five-match one-day international tour against Pakistan that immediately follows the India series.

"The UAE is around the 15th of March so if all goes to plan I should be pretty sweet to be available for that one," Starc told cricket.com.au at last night's Australian Cricket Awards in Melbourne.

"Obviously the boys go to India, hopefully it's a good tour for them there.

"I don't think I'll be ready for any stage of that.

"So it's up to the rehab group and the selectors and see how the rest of this summer goes."

Australia's final match in India takes place on March 13 in Dehli, after which the team flies directly to the UAE for the first of five ODIs in Sharjah on March 22.

It means Starc will have up to 10 50-over matches before the Australia's opening World Cup match against Afghanistan in Bristol on June 1.

Following the five matches in the UAE, Australia are expected to play three practice matches against a New Zealand side in Brisbane in May before their two official World Cup warm-up matches, against England and Sri Lanka in Hampshire.

Starc will be vital in Australia's defence of the 2015 World Cup they won in Australia and New Zealand, where the spearhead was named player of the tournament for his 22 wickets at 10.18 in eight matches.