AUS vs AFG: “Really Surprise To Me” – Tom Moody On Mitchell Starc's Exclusion From Playing XI vs Afghanistan In T20 World Cup 2022

Former Australia National Cricket Team all-rounder Tom Moody and former India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa expressed their surprise over the non-selection of the star left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc in Australia’s playing XI in the game against Afghanistan.

Australia National Cricket Team made three big changes to their playing XI in their final Super 12 game against Afghanistan National Cricket Team at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 4. Skipper Aaron Finch and explosive batter Tim David, who were injured, were replaced by Cameron Green and Steve Smith while Kane Richardson came into the playing XI for Mitchell Starc.

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During a discussion on ESPNCricinfo, Tom Moody said that Starc’s exclusion came as a surprise to him. He added that he wanted Kane Richardson to be in the Australia XI, but not as a replacement for Starc. He stated:

“Really surprise to me, if he [ Starc ] has been dropped. Because he is one bowler I would have thought against Afghanistan could pick up three very quick wickets, bowl speeds and swing the ball.

“There must be something more to it than tactical selection. I have been calling for Kane Richardson as a possible player to be in the playing XI, but that’s for Pat Cummins and not for Mitchell Starc. That is alarming, it would be really very interesting to hear the details of that news.”

To me, there isn’t any logic to it – Tom Moody on Mitchell Starc being replaced by Kane Richardson

Moody further said that “there isn’t any logic” behind dropping a bowler of Starc’s caliber from the playing XI. He said:

“To me, there isn’t any logic to it because as Robin [Uthappa] said when you talk about left-armer that’s got as good a strike rate in the powerplay as any bowler in the history of both 50-over cricket and T20 cricket. What you need to do is take early wickets against your opponents. So you are trying to bowl that left-armer who can bowl 150kph or up to 150kph and swing it. He’s done it recently where he had Ireland right on the backfoot by taking early wickets.”

During the same discussion, Robin Uthappa said that he “can’t make any sense of” Australia’s decision to exclude “genuine match-winner” Mitchell Starc from the playing XI. He said:

“It must be something that’s strange because I can’t make any sense of it. He’s someone who has been instrumental in helping Australia win so many World Cups in the recent past. He’s a genuine match-winner why won’t you play him in a must-win kind of situation where you need to win by so much?”

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2022: “I Didn’t Get It” – Michael Clarke Furious Over Starc’s Non-Selection