Curators will walk a fine line this summer, with Australia's players desperate for greener wickets they believe can help take down England's batting.
At the same time Cricket Australia believe this summer can provide a much-needed financial windfall, with record crowds expected and 13 of a possible 25 days already sold out.
Starc made his return to red-ball cricket on Monday, taking four Victorian wickets in the Sheffield Shield.
But he was also on the end of an onslaught from Sam Harper, who took the left-armer for 22 off one over before being caught on the boundary.
Asked whether he expected England to take a similar approach this summer, Starc made no secret of what he thought of the wicket.
"Yeah, no doubt, especially if they're pretty docile wickets like this," Starc said.
"We know the way they're trying to play their cricket, so we'll worry about it next week."
Starc's comments came before 14 wickets fell at the SCG on Tuesday, with the venue the liveliest Test pitch of the summer last year, with Australia's win over India coming inside eight sessions.
In the past four Australian summers only six Tests across the country have reached day five, with two of those virtually destroyed by rain.
At the same time, another six Tests have been wrapped up inside either two or three days.
Administrators generally need to bank on play extending into at least day four to maximise profit, given the final day often requires merely a charity donation to enter.
But Starc was clear in his message when asked whether he was worried pitches could be made flatter this summer in a bid to extend play.
"I hope the groundsmen stick to their guns and prepare the wickets they want," he said.
"If we're worried about five days of revenue, then there's bigger problems at hand."
Lyon backed Starc's position on Tuesday.
"I think there are bigger things to focus on like having really good competitive cricket rather than revenue raising," Lyon said.
"If we're looking at the game as revenue raising then we've got bigger issues. As a cricket lover and a player, you want a contest between bat and ball.
"I think the Ashes will be a great contest."
Averages for batters in the top six have dropped by close to 10 runs per player in Australia this decade to 31.93, compared to 41.47 in the 2010s and 42.39 in the 2000s.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has indicated his organisation will not interfere.
"If I could get the roller out myself, I'd be on it," Greenberg quipped last month.
"There are competing demands in Australian cricket and I understand that.
"There's the performance demands and what might suit the teams best. There are commercial returns, which are really important.
"But ultimately, I think what we want to see is, in every city, that the wickets play like they should and there's a great balance between bat and ball."
