Sydney: Australia’s pace mainstay Mitchell Starc has indicated he could be contemplating prioritising Test cricket over white-ball fixtures, saying he might not be able to play all three formats with the same intensity “for a long period moving forward”.
Starc played a pivotal role in Australia taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the One-day International series against England, snaring four wickets in his eight overs as the hosts thrashed Jos Buttler’s side by 72 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.
The 32-year-old quick said post-match, it was “certainly impossible” to play every game in the three formats.
“Not the way it’s scheduled these days,” Starc was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “It’s certainly impossible at the moment to play every game as a three-format player. “Having (the IPL period) to rest might help me keep bowling at decent speeds for a period of time,” he added.
“(But) I don’t think playing three formats is something I can do for a long period moving forward.”
Starc also revealed that “cricket’s cluttered schedule will eventually prompt him to retire from white-ball formats first in a bid to prolong his Test career,” according to the report. “One of six three-format players in Australia’s team, the left-armer is staring at the prospect of more than 100 days of international cricket in the next year,” said the report.
Australia’s tiring schedule can be gauged from the fact that cricketers had to play a three-match ODI series against England four days after England lifted the T20 World Cup at MCG. In order to manage the workload, Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins and Starc have decided to skip next year’s IPL.
Cummins also sat out Saturday’s series-clinching 72-run win at the SCG, with Josh Hazlewood making his captaincy debut. Australia will also play a two and three-match series against the Windies and South Africa respectively this summer.
“Tests (are) always first (priority)… far above white-ball,” said Starc. “I’ll decide on the rest as I go and where my body’s at and how I feel about it. I’d love to, selection and form pending, continue playing Test cricket as long as I can.”
Starc also said he had a conversation with Australia’s chief selector George Bailey.
“I spoke to George at length, it was a good conversation. Many different things were floated there. I still have ambitions to play T20 cricket for Australia, but it is a long time to the next one and a lot of water to go under the bridge. So we will face that when we get to that.”
–IANS
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