Australia’s legendary pacer Mitchell Starc recently declared his retirement from T20 Internationals, focusing instead on prolonging his Test and ODI cricket career. At 35 years old, Starc expressed his readiness to “milk” his body to maximize his performance in Test matches. He stated, “For lack of a better term, I want to milk my body as much as I can for as much Test cricket as possible. That was never going to be off the table.” He further explained, “I just felt like one of the other (formats) had to give. I feel like I’ve got plenty to offer the ODI team and with that goal of getting my body to 2027 – but also being good enough to be in that team for the World Cup in 2027. I felt like this was my best opportunity to prolong my Test career and get to that World Cup (in 2027).”
Starc has played a vital role in Australian cricket, having been crucial in their maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2021 in the UAE. Despite retiring from T20Is, he confirmed his intention to participate in the upcoming three-match ODI series against India. Reflecting on the decision to retire from the shortest format, Starc said, “I umm-ed and ahh-ed about which was the right (format) to put to the side. If I wasn’t going to be in the frame for 2027 then I didn’t want to hold up the spot. I still feel like I’ve got plenty to offer that ODI team. I’d thought about it for a while. I feel like it was probably a good time. I’m 35 now, Tests have always been my priority and they will remain my priority.”
Starc is also optimistic about his career bowling at the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, where he hopes to cement his legacy as one of the greatest ODI World Cup bowlers. He currently ranks just behind Glenn McGrath (71 wickets) and Muttiah Muralitharan (68 wickets) with 65 World Cup wickets from three tournaments.
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Regarding the Australian T20 team, Starc believes it is in a strong position with emerging talents, stating, “The T20 team seems pretty settled with the guys that have come in, they’ve done some great stuff. Nathan Ellis is flying, Ben Dwarshuis has played a great role, Spencer (Johnson) has done some good stuff when he’s played, Sean Abbott as well… I feel like that team is in a great spot and I don’t need to interrupt that.”
He plans to play the three one-day matches against India as a controlled lead-in to five Test matches, alongside potential Sheffield Shield appearances before the Ashes. Starc emphasized the importance of keeping flexibility in scheduling for optimal preparation, saying, “The three one-dayers (against India) are a nice, controlled lead-in to five Test matches, 10 overs a game, time on the legs, they’re not a day after each other. There’s some Shield games that can be added to that schedule. (But) I think it’s important not to have a concrete way of thinking.”
This strategic move allows him to prioritize longevity and peak performance in formats he values most while giving emerging players a chance in T20 cricket