Fit, strong & ready to play again: Mitchell Starc

Sydney: After being on the sidelines for six months following an ankle injury, pacer Mitchell Starc on Thursday said he is fit and raring to hit the pitch when the Australians head to the West Indies for the tri-series also involving South Africa.

"It's been a long time coming. The foot has been great, there's no pain in the ankle or the foot," Starc was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au., a day prior to their departure for the West Indies.

"I've been really happy with it, it's come along really well. I've had a good three or four months in gym to get a bit of size back on, and I'm feeling really good; fit, strong and ready to play some cricket."

However, Starc said he might not be at his best right from the outset.

"I'm not sure if I'll be back up to top speed straight away, it might take a couple of games as it normally does for fast bowlers coming back, but I'm excited to see how it comes out on the gun," he said.

Starc suffered a stress fracture in his foot last November and had to go under the knife to correct an ongoing ankle problem.

"Having that ankle issue through the Ashes from the first Test probably played big part in why my foot broke," Starc said.

"I had surgery to take bone out of the back of the ankle, clean it up, take a few spurs out. It was more of an over-use issue and rather than a technical issue, so I'm back to bowling what I've been doing the past few years and ready to pick up where I left off in November."