Despite the lucrative money on offer, Mitchell Starc, one of the finest pacers of his generation, avoids playing for franchise teams, even in the IPL, in order to give his all for Australia.
Starc puts a great importance on having the opportunity to represent Australia in Test cricket and anticipates that many young people will follow in his footsteps. While several of Starc’s teammates have taken part in international T20 tournaments like the Big Bash and IPL, the left-arm spinner has resisted the temptation.
The speaker remarked, “I enjoyed it [the IPL] and I enjoyed my time at Yorkshire ten years ago, but Australia will always be first.” Money may come and go, but Starc told The Guardian, “I have no regrets about anything because I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had.”
Over the previous 100 years, less than 500 players have represented Australia in Test cricket; just that statistic alone makes it a very extraordinary experience.
“The purist in me still thinks there’s a fresh generation that wants to play Test cricket for their country. However, he added, franchise cricket provides rapid cash and a quick route to stardom.
For the foreseeable future, Test cricket will undoubtedly be the 33-year-old’s top focus. He last participated in professional cricket for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL in 2015. “I’d certainly love to play in the IPL again, but my goal for a long time has been to be at my best for Australia, no matter the format,” said Starc.
Australia won the inaugural World Test Championship on June 11 by defeating India by 209 runs. After winning the ODI, T20, and Champions Trophy titles, the Australian side has now won every ICC trophy.
“Franchise cricket is fantastic, but you can be bought, sold, or swapped in a year. However, this is an opportunity—playing tests—that I’ve been fortunate to take use of for more than 10 years now.To be able to play on the muddy pitch with so many of my close friends—players I’ve known my whole life—is wonderful, Starc remarked.
Starc lauded England for utilising the Bazball to revolutionise Test cricket under the leadership of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, but he questioned their ability to do the same in the Ashes against a potent bowling outfit like Australia.
“If we get traditional English playing conditions, which nip around, and if the Ashes are on the line, would they still be that aggressive? Starc remarked, “We’ll probably find out.”
