Aussies out to cover Starc absence

South Africa's Quinton de Kock is one of many batsmen around the world breathing a sigh of relief about a notable absence in Australia's attack.

There are a lot of hurdles Australia must clear to win the Twenty20 World Cup for the first time but the injury-enforced omission of Mitchell Starc is among the most challenging.

Starc is the best white-ball bowler in the world according to plenty of good judges and was crowned player of the tournament at last year's ODI World Cup.

The 26-year-old boasts a rare and potent mix: accuracy, late swing, steepling bounce and express pace.

De Kock knows as much, having been struck on the throat by Starc during a T20 match in 2014.

"I'm glad Mitch Johnson and Mitch Starc aren't there," de Kock said on the eve of the T20 series decider in Cape Town.

"They've been the only two guys to hit me in the head."

National selectors opted against including a left-armer in their T20 World Cup squad, leaving allrounder James Faulkner as the only southpaw pace option for the tournament in India.

Josh Hazlewood suggested it was up to the entire attack to pick up the slack but noted Nathan Coulter-Nile had that "extra bit of pace that can hurry the best batsmen".

"We saw in Durban he took wickets up front and really put them on the back foot," Hazlewood said.

"If he can keep it up that's going to help us."

Coulter-Nile grabbed three wickets in Durban, dismissing de Kock and AB de Villiers in his opening spell.

"I don't think I have to step up (with Starc out of the attack). It would be nice to have him here, he's the No.1 white-ball bowler in the world," Coulter-Nile said.

"So that's a big loss for any side.

"But I play the same role, if he's here or not.

"I'm actually lucky to get a spot (in the side), if he was here I probably wouldn't be playing."

De Kock believed his side would need to be careful facing Coulter-Nile at Newlands, where the T20 series decider starts at 3am AEDT on Thursday.

"Coults is very adaptable," de Kock said.

"I played with him at Delhi. He's quite good, his slower balls also.

"They're all solid bowlers. It's always tough up front, Australian teams are always known to hit the splice hard."