"I'll drop off the rest before I let go of Test cricket": Mitchell Starc
Nov 13, 2023
New Delhi [India], November 13 : Australia speedster Mitchell Starc asserted that he will drop the white ball format before he decides to hang his boots in the red ball format.
The left-arm pacer has amassed 230 ODI wickets at an average of 23.17 but is adamant that he won't be making the cut for the next World Cup. He stated that Test cricket is his priority and he will drop other formats before he lets go of Test cricket.
"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. 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 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," Starc told reporters in Kolkata as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
Star has scalped ten wickets with an economy rate of 6.55 till now and reflecting on his performance Starc feels that he hasn't been able to perform to his potential.
"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. 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," Starc said.
The experienced pacer was left out of the squad for the final group game against Bangladesh, Starc talked about the decision and stated that it was largely taken out of his hands.
"The way we started meant we couldn't rest anyone earlier in the campaign being 0-2. Had the chance with securing the semi-final spot the other night. Glenn [Maxwell] after his knock and his cramping needed a bit of a rest and I didn't have much of a say in my decision. I've carried a few things from the Ashes and it was a chance before the semi-finals," Starc signed off saying.
Australia will face South Africa in the semi-final of the ongoing World Cup on Thursday at the iconic Eden Gardens.
