Starc was taken to St George hospital after running into training equipment during fielding drills on Thursday at the Australian team's training camp at Hurstville Oval in Sydney. He suffered a deep laceration in his left shin and required surgery.

After the surgery was completed, CA chief medical officer John Orchard said on Thursday night: "Fortunately, there were no bone fractures or tendon damage to his leg and he underwent surgery this afternoon to clean the wound and received approximately 30 stitches.

"He will remain in hospital for the next few days to minimise movement to his leg and will use an extension brace for the next two to three weeks until his stitches are removed.

"At this stage, barring any complications, we are hopeful he is on track to play at the start of the Australian summer."

Starc had been in immense pain when attended to by Orchard and Dr Richard Saw, who will oversee the coming short tour of South Africa, featuring six one-day internationals, including one against Ireland.

This is not the first time an Australian quick has been hurt in a freak training mishap. Glenn McGrath trod on a cricket ball during a game of touch-rugby before play on day one of the 2005 Ashes Test at Edgbaston and had to be helped into a groundsman's buggy. He was ruled out of the Test and did not fully recover for the rest of the series despite returning.

Starc was already to be rested from the South Africa trip, with the team leaving on Tuesday, but will now have a delayed start to his NSW campaign. The domestic one-day series begins next month, with the Test players then to have the one Sheffield Shield clash before the home Test campaign begins against South Africa in Perth from November 3.

Starc has embraced the spearhead role in the past year, and led the tourists with 24 wickets during their 3-0 series loss to Sri Lanka last month - the most ever by an Australian fast bowler in a three-Test series.

His injury compounded a miserable day for the Australians, who have lost batsman Shaun Marsh and bowling all-rounder James Faulkner from the South African tour. Faulkner was hurt while completing a two-kilometre run.

Team physiotherapist David Beakley said the Victorian would need up to a month to recover.

"James suffered a low grade calf strain during a fitness session in Sydney today [and we expect him] to take three to four weeks to recover. Unfortunately, this means he will also be unavailable for the South Africa series," he said.

Marsh returned home during the one-day series of the Sri Lanka tour because of a fractured finger. That has not healed as well as hoped and he, too, will remain at home.

"Shaun undertook a follow up X-ray and was reviewed by specialists this week. Unfortunately due to the fracture being in the joint of the finger we have decided to take a more conservative approach. Therefore, he will not be available for the ODI series in South Africa," Beakley said.

NSW batsman Usman Khawaja, who endured a rugged series in Sri lanka, will replace Marsh, while Faulkner will not be replaced.

Starc's fellow new-ball bowler Josh Hazlewood had already been rested from the series, leaving emerging quicks Victorian Chris Tremain and South Australian pair Joe Mennie and Dan Worrall to carry the attack.

Australia's fast bowling stocks are already weakened, as James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile remain hurt and young quicks Jason Behrendorff, Joel Paris and Sean Abbott are still on the mend. Pat Cummins has also just begun another comeback from back stress fractures.