Australian captain George Bailey says in-form pace bowler Mitchell Starc may be rested from Wednesday night’s opening T20 international clash with Pakistan.

Starc was man of the series in the one-day internationals against Pakistan which Australia won 2-1.

The left-armer claimed 4-51 as Australia won game three in Sharjah on Tuesday morning and was also man of the match in game one with 5-42 after taking 4-47 against Afghanistan in the opening game of the UAE tour on August 25.

Six fresh players have arrived for the three-game T20 series which is a lead-up to the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka later this month.

“The quick turnaround means we’ve hardly really spoken about Twenty20 yet,” Bailey admitted on Tuesday morning.

“Mitchell Starc has had a pretty good hitout so he’s probably one we might look to rest early on.”

Bailey said pacemen Ben Hilfenhaus, Clint McKay and star allrounder Shane Watson would be fresh and ready to go as would exciting young quick Pat Cummins, spinner Brad Hogg and middle-order batsman Cameron White.

Hogg’s fellow frontline spinner Xavier Doherty, who was part of the ODI squad but couldn’t win selection, is also desperate for some game time.

“Xavier Doherty has missed these (ODI) games so he’s fresh as well. There’ll be a nice injection of some energy and enthusiasm into the group,” Bailey says.

“It’s just role clarity. My personal opinion is there won’t be a great deal of changes.

“We’ll try to find a settled lineup as quickly as possible, particularly with the batting.”

Cricket Australia decided to keep uncapped Queensland quick Alister McDermott, 21, with the T20 squad for the three-match series against Pakistan although he won’t be part of the T20 World Cup.

The move will give the squad a back-up option for the Pakistan series and also aid McDermott’s development, chairman of selectors John Inverarity said.