Clint McKay stars for Australia after being dropped by Melbourne Stars in Big Bash Clint McKay is Australia's silent assassin, according to Michael Clarke. FOR a bloke dubbed the silent assassin, Clint McKay sure has a roar on him. The Victorian, suffering through a Big Bash League dry spell that saw him dropped by Melbourne Stars, must have been relieved to return to the longer shorter format as Australia faced England at the MCG. McKay opened the attack and with the fourth ball of his first over snared England captain Alastair Cook (4) caught behind. And boy did he enjoy it as he came screaming down the pitch into the arms of his teammates. It was the early wicket he needed after taking just four in four matches for the Stars this BBL season where he's going for almost 10 runs an over. His last showing before he was dropped was 0-50; it was 1-43 the match before. Even his Sheffield Shield form had been wanting - since a match return of 4-71 against Tasmania in November, he'd only taken a couple of wickets. He hadn't had the ideal build-up. There'd been no one-day cricket since the series in India, his last match on November 2 - he missed the Ryobi Cup because of his Australian commitments. McKay never lost the backing of Australian captain Michael Clarke - who last week called him the team's silent assassin. Clint McKay celebrates after dismissing England captain Alastair Cook. On Sunday McKay played more like the guy who is the reigning Australian one-day player of the year - he had 2-9 early and after his opening five-over spell he had 2-11. His Victorian teammate Peter Siddle, in a commentary role for Channel 9, pointed out McKay wasn't the quickest bowler getting around - he was bowling mid 130km/h on Sunday. Siddle said it was the way McKay could build pressure, and his slower balls at the death that generated wickets, that made him a valuable commodity. In McKay's fourth over, he had the ball swinging and trapped Joe Root (3 off 23 balls) lbw. Root reviewed - using England's only referral - believing he'd hit the ball, but Hot Spot showed no sign of contact and he was back in the sheds. McKay took a third wicket - which could have come six runs earlier - in his final over with Gary Ballance (79) caught at third man by a relieved Xavier Doherty. Three balls earlier, in an almost identical shot, Doherty had put Ballance down. None of the fast bowling cartel that helped regain the Ashes were on the MCG yesterday. No Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson or Siddle. James Pattinson wasn't there either. Instead McKay (3-44), Nathan Coulter-Nile (1-51) and James Faulkner (1-68) carried the load as England recovered from early setbacks to post 7-269.