Mitchell Starc to retire before 2026 T20 World Cup? Australia star delivers big update
Published - 11 Jul 2024, 04:43 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:15 AM
Australia star Mitchell Starc has opened up his chances of playing the next T20 World Cup. The left-arm pacer was a part of Australia's squad for the recently concluded T20 World Cup, held in the USA and the West Indies.
Mitchell Starc played in 5 of the 7 games that Australia played in the competition last month. In those 5 games, he picked up 5 wickets although he could not help Australia qualify for the semifinals. The Australian team management had decided against including him in the playing eleven for the crucial Super 8 clash against Afghanistan.
In his absence, Australia suffered a shock loss and eventually bowed out of the tournament. The veteran pacer will be almost 37 when the next T20 World Cup takes place in 2026. He was recently asked whether he would be available for that tournament or not.
In reply, the World Cup-winning pacer said that he has not made his decision yet.
"I don't know, probably I'll sit on the fence on that. I have not made my decision yet," said Mitchell Starch on the Willow Talk podcast.
Starc, who made his debut for Australia in 2010, has played 65 T20Is so far and has picked up 79 wickets. He was also a part of the Australian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2021. Before this year's World Cup, he had also played a starring role in Kolkata Knight Riders' triumphant campaign in IPL 2024.
Mitchell Starc on being dropped for Afghanistan game:
During the same podcast, Mitchell Starc also opened up on his axing for the game against Afghanistan. He was also dropped for Australia's game against Afghanistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup. On that occasion, Kane Richardson was preferred ahead of him.
Richardson had conceded 48 runs in 4 overs although Australia managed to win the game by a narrow margin of four runs. However, they failed to cross the finishing line in last month's T20 World Cup and paid a huge price for it as they could not make the cut for the semifinals.
"Two World Cups in a row," said Starc before adding: "Just the match-up, they saw previous games on that ground in St Vincent with spin playing a part and obviously Ash and the left-armer enticing them to make a change."
