Mitchell Starc's late night text fuels Spencer Johnson's comeback trail

Brisbane Heat and Australian speedster Spencer Johnson faced a setback before the upcoming BBL season due to a recurring hamstring injury. The setback followed his promising debut earlier in 2023 for Australia in T20I and ODI cricket. Known for his left-arm bowling akin to his idol Mitchell Starc, he suffered a second hamstring tear during his debut against India in September, leaving him disheartened and troubled.

However, in a moment of despair, Johnson found comfort in a text from his role model, Mitchell Starc. Struggling to find sleep after the injury, Starc’s encouraging words uplifted his spirits, motivating him to make a resilient comeback to the Australian side.

"Starcy gave me my ODI cap and there were some nice words said,  but it is what he did after the game that I'll never forget. Unfortunately I did my hammie in that game. I was staring at the ceiling at 1am and my phone lights up. Sure enough it was a message from Starcy saying, 'well done. You've had a helluva 12 months,"Johnson was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“'Be proud of what you've done and look for the silver lining when you get back to Australia and try and get yourself right'. To get a message like that was really helpful and pretty cool. Starcy is number one. I watched him for the last 12 years and tried to model my game around him,” he revealed.

Johnson draws inspiration from Starc during recuperation 

Despite the setback, Spencer remained focused on his recovery and drew inspiration from Starc's advice. His rehabilitation process spanned ten weeks upon returning from India, leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit to regain fitness. The initial minor grade one tear during training in South Africa worsened during the India tour, but he remained optimistic about his return for Brisbane Heat’s opening match against Melbourne Stars.

Reflecting on his breakout performance last season in the BBL, the 27-year-old will aim to replicate his exceptional late-over bowling that earned him recognition. With Starc recently joining Sydney Sixers in a non-playing role, Johnson remains determined to translate his recovery efforts into a strong performance for the Brisbane Heat in the upcoming matches.