Mitchell Starc could consider missing next year's Indian Premier League to rest before the World Cup and Ashes after being cut by his club Kolkata Knight Riders.
Starc was informed via text message by the Kolkata owners he would not form part of their plans for the 2019 tournament, after he missed the 2018 version through injury.
It means Starc will need to nominate himself in the next month for the auction for next season, which is expected to be held in mid-December.
However it's understood at this stage the left-arm quick is seriously considering missing the tournament to prepare for a marathon winter which will lead closely into the 2019-20 home summer.
"I got a text message two days ago from the owners of Kolkata saying I've been released from my contract," Starc said on Wednesday.
"At the moment I'll be home in April.
"I obviously didn't go last year with my tibia injury and it was a great opportunity to freshen the body up, let everything heal by itself.
"That little period of time has really paid off for the body.
"If I don't play the IPL next year it's a good opportunity to freshen up for a massive six months of cricket in the UK."
Next season's IPL is expected to finish in early May, just before Australia head to England for the one-day World Cup.
Their first match is on June 1 and the final on July 14, before the first Ashes Test begins on August 1 in Edgbaston. The five-Test series ends on September 16.
Australian then have a home summer against Pakistan and New Zealand.
"At the moment for me I just want to play as much Test and one-day cricket for Australia as I can," Starc said.
"The IPL is a lovely bonus on the pay packet but if I miss that to play more Test matches, I'm taking that option."
Starc went for a whopping $1.8 million at last year's player auction, a handsome sum he missed out on when he pulled out of the tournament through injury.
The news comes as Fairfax Media reports Pat Cummins is looking to secure a multi-year deal with Cricket Australia rather than the usual single-year contracts for security if he is to miss future IPLs through injury like he did this season.
"It's an interesting one, as far as I'm aware everyone is on one year at the moment," Starc said.
"There's obviously a bit of a changing time with people at Cricket Australia, it's one for them and what they want to do at Cricket Australia as far as contracting."
