Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has cited prioritizing playing Shield cricket as the reason for not participating in IPL 2021.
Starc last played an IPL game in May 2015 and hasn't been in the right section of IPL news since then. He registered for the auction, got picked a couple of times, but never came to India.
Six years after his last game of the biggest T20 league in the world, he wants to play the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales instead of the IPL.
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Mitchell Starc told cricket.com.au, "I wanted to play as much Shield cricket as I could. Managing a few little things with the body and wanting to play as much red-ball cricket as I could with certain guys heading off to the IPL, it was my intention to be the constant in the Shield team and hopefully play a role there as a senior head in the team.”
The 31-year-old further gave out another reason that it was been a gruelling summer for a lot of cricketers who have been in different hubs and bio-secure bubbles since the month of August last year.
“It has been a grueling summer for most people, whether you've been in different hubs and bubbles or started back in August, everyone's doing the best they can,” he added.
In the IPL, Starc represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and 2015. He has picked 34 wickets in 27 matches at an average of 20.38 and an economy rate of 7.17.
