Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has discussed his decision to skip the IPL in order to focus on international cricket, expressing his desire to play 100 Test matches for Australia. Starc had previously participated in the IPL for two seasons, representing RCB in 2014 and 2015, and had a commendable performance in the league, taking 34 wickets in 27 matches.
Although Starc was bought by KKR for 9.4 crores in the 2018 IPL auction, he did not get the opportunity to play a single game for the franchise. Since then, the 33-year-old has made a conscious choice to forgo the IPL auction in order to extend his career in international cricket. In an interview with cricket.com.au, Starc acknowledged the financial allure of the IPL but emphasized his ambition to reach the milestone of 100 Test matches representing Australia.
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“To choose not to do certain things to prolong playing for Australia, I’ve tried to be smart about that,” Mitchell Starc explained. “Yeah, the money’s nice, but I’d love to play 100 Test matches. I don’t know whether I get there or not, but that would be a nice one to tick off. Hopefully, there’s a little bit left in me.”
Mitchell Starc on Opting out of IPL On a regular basis
“Yeah, the money’s nice, but I’d love to play 100 Test matches. Whether I get there or not, I don’t know, but that would be a nice one to tick off. Hopefully, there’s a little bit left in me.”#Starc | #TestCricket pic.twitter.com/kZcWAyYlNj
— 𝙄𝙩’𝙭 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙯𝙞 (@shaizitarar) June 6, 2023
Starc also acknowledged that he would recognize the right time to retire when a new left-arm pacer emerges for Australia. He highlighted the inevitability of being replaced as soon as another talented left-arm bowler emerges on the scene.
Mitchell Starc elaborated, “To play three formats for over 10 years, it’s been a lot of pain along the way, but I’m grateful I’ve gotten that far. Whilst I’ve tried to add to the bow, as soon as I lose air speed, there’s going to be someone chasing me. Once that next left-armer is coming through, yeah, I’m sure I’ll know when I know.”
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Throughout his career, Starc has faced criticism from the media, particularly during periods of struggle in international cricket. However, the seasoned bowler revealed that he has developed a stronger mindset and no longer allows such criticism to affect him.
“That (media criticism) might have bothered me a few years ago, but I’ve certainly settled on a happy place where it doesn’t bother me anymore,” Mitchell Starc confidently stated.
