Mitchell Starc, Australia's veteran fast bowler, has hinted at quitting limited-overs cricket in order to extend his Test career. The pacer already pulled out of the upcoming IPL 2023 due to the hectic schedule, and he will reportedly make some tough decisions about his international future soon.
While Starc has already admitted that it is "certainly impossible" to play every game in all three formats of the game, Australian media reports claimed that the "cluttered schedule will eventually prompt the left-arm pacer to retire from white-ball formats in a bid to prolong his Test career."
Mitchell Starc was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au: “Not the way it’s scheduled these days. 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. (But) I don’t think playing three formats is something I can do for a long period moving forward.”
The experienced bowler added, “Tests (are) always first (priority)… far above white-ball. 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 revealed that he had a conversation with Australia’s chief selector, George Bailey, regarding his white-ball future. However, he wants to play in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
He signed off by saying, “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.”
