As the 2027 ODI World Cup approaches, Australian paceman Mitchell Starc acknowledges that he will likely be past his prime and not part of the competition. Despite this, he remains determined to extend his one-day international career. Currently in India for the 2023 ODI World Cup, Starc is focused on Australia’s upcoming semi-final clash against South Africa. However, he recognizes that time is not on his side for future World Cup appearances.
“I’ll look to keep playing after this, but I don’t doubt that I won’t be making the next World Cup. I’ve no vision for that. Four years is a long (time),” Mitchell Starc told reporters.
Prioritizing his Test career, Starc intends to step away from other formats before retiring from red-ball cricket altogether.
“I’ve always maintained that Test cricket is the top of the tree for me, and I’ll drop off the rest before I let go of Test cricket. For me, the World Cup semi-final is just another one-day game for Australia. It’s not the end of the road in one-day cricket as yet for me,” he said.
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Starc’s performance in the ongoing tournament has been below par compared to his previous World Cup outings. With 10 wickets at an average of 43.90, he admits there’s room for improvement.
“I certainly haven’t been at the level I would have liked… or not the same level as the last two World Cups anyway, but now a chance at the pointy end to impact again,” Mitchell Starc said.
I’ll drop (white-ball formats) before I let go of Test cricket: Mitchell Starc
The left-arm seamer said he won’t be around till the next ODI World Cup.
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Analyzing the current state of one-day cricket, Starc attributes the shift in balance towards batters to batting-friendly pitches and the use of two new balls in ODIs.
“Certainly bowling first on particular wickets, the new ball with two fielders out, I think has been almost the hardest time to bowl. You get a bit of an understanding of the wicket as the game goes on… that’s not a sob story, that’s the nature of one-day cricket,” he added.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by bowlers in this format, Mitchell Starc remains resolute in his pursuit of ODI excellence.
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“You’ve got two brand-new balls on flat wickets, that’s the nature of the World Cup. If you look at the runs scored, or certainly centuries scored, as opposed to five wickets taken, the ratios are heavily skewed. Bowlers just have to find a way,” he said.
Despite the likelihood of missing the 2027 ODI World Cup, Starc remains committed to his one-day career, determined to make a significant impact in the remaining matches of the ongoing tournament and beyond.
