"I’m not someone like Jimmy who played until he was 40-odd" - Mitchell Starc on trying to prolong his career across formats in modern-day cricket
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has remarked that he will not be able to push his body like former England bowler James Anderson to play the sport in his 40s. However, the left-arm speedster, who will turn 35 in January, hopes to continue for as long as possible, with no end date set in stone at the moment.
In a bid to prolong his career and remain committed to the international circuit, Starc has evaded the lucrative world of franchise cricket for the majority of his career, admirably during his peak. Although he has won almost everything with Australia over the years, he has a lot to look forward to in the form of the Border-Gavaskar series, the Champions Trophy, and the Ashes.
Starc recently said the current cricketing calendar that involves near-continuous action across formats has been hard on his body.
“I’ve been very lucky to play three formats for a very long time. How long that will continue, I’m not sure. The scheduling of three formats is getting harder and harder and finding blocks of time to spend time on my body is going to take away from others," Starc said (via The Sydney Morning Herald).
“Tests are still definitely the pinnacle for me and I think my body will play a part in that decision whenever it gets to it. I’m not someone like Jimmy who played until he was 40-odd and had incredible skills to swing it both ways. I’ve never been that bowler and there’s plenty of better bowlers around the country to fill that job. I’m really looking forward to this summer and I haven’t put any expiry date on anything just yet," he added.
Mitchell Starc ended his self-imposed exile from franchise cricket as he played the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and helped them win their third title. Balancing both worlds could be a focal point in the twilight years of his career, as he is not expected to part ways with international cricket anytime soon.
"I think the level of competitiveness between both trophies is on par" - Mitchell Starc on the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar series
The Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia has been one of the most hotly contested affairs when it comes to bilateral cricket. The fact that Australia have not won a red-ball series over the Men in Blue for a decade has only escalated the rivalry, with each of India's triumphs, especially Down Under, being a massive statement.
The Ashes continues to be a personal affair for Australia, taking into account the history behind the rivalry, but the Border-Gavaskar series has seen a meteoric rise in terms of it being a bonafide feud.
“It’s thrown it right on par with an Ashes series being [expanded to] five Tests. The Border-Gavaskar doesn’t have that length of history [as the Ashes] but I think the level of competitiveness between both trophies is on par. We’re currently one and two in the Test table so there will be a bit of spice to it," Starc said in the same interview.
The 2023-24 Border-Gavaskar series is scheduled to begin on November 22, with the Optus Stadium in Perth hosting the series opener.