Mitchell Starc, Australia’s leader in white ball pace, has left his Twenty20 appearances to concentrate on extending his one-day cricket and test career.
The left-armer, age 35, is second on Australia’s all-time list, behind spinner Adam Zampa, with 79 wickets in 65 T20Is.
He stated in a Cricket Australia statement on Tuesday that “test cricket is and always has been my highest priority.”
“I have loved every second of every T20 match I’ve played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but also because the team was fantastic and the atmosphere was fantastic.”
I believe that in the run-up to an away Indian test tour, the Ashes, and the ODI World Cup in 2027, I can focus on staying fit, fresh, and best for those campaigns.
In the matches that precede that tournament, the bowling group has time to get ready for the T20 World Cup.
Starc did not play in Australia’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, which was released on Tuesday.
Todd Greenberg, the head of Cricket Australia, and George Bailey, the chairman of the national selectors, paid tribute to Starc.
“Mitch should be incredibly proud of his T20 performance for Australia,” Bailey said.
He played a key role in the 2021 World Cup winning team and, like all of his cricket, had a great knack for getting games off the ground with his wicket-taking prowess.
We will recognize and celebrate his T20 debut at the appropriate time, but pleasingly, he will continue to play test and ODI cricket for as long as possible.
Starc made “significant sacrifices” to serve his country, according to Greenberg.
Another example of putting team first is “to allow the next crop of fast bowlers a clear path to the T20 World Cup early next year,” he said.
Source: Aljazeera
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