Australia Pacer Mitchell Starc Recalls Dark Days: ‘I Probably Didn’t Want to Play Cricket at All’
Mitchell Starc looked back at his dark days of 2021 after he received the Allan Border Medal on Saturday (Jan. 29).
Before pulling off an incredible turnaround, Starc was at a point where he “didn’t want to play cricket at all”.
Starc was suffering both on and off the field. While he was not performing at his best for the Australia cricket team, he was watching his father slowly lose the battle to cancer. Here’s our betting tips today and get the latest news here.
The left-arm pacer managed to keep his cricket going despite a poor home summer against India, where he picked up only 11 wickets in four Tests. Soon after the series defeat to India, Starc lost his father as well.
“Obviously last year was particularly tough on and off the field. I probably didn’t play the cricket I wanted to and, at certain stages, I probably didn’t want to play cricket at all,” Starc said in an interview.
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There was a few months back before Starc was once again called on national duty. He was a part of the touring Australian side that traveled to the Caribbean and Bangladesh.
Mitchell Starc’s turnaround during Ashes
The New South Wales bowler did well in the One-Day International (ODI) leg against the West Indies, but had a forgettable run in the Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). He picked up just one wicket in four matches.
The strict quarantine rules didn’t help either as he headed to Dubai straight after that for the T20 World Cup. Although he was a part of Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup trophy, he registered the worst ever figures by an Australian in a men’s T20 international: 0-60 from four overs.
Ahead of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane, Starc felt a similar head to that of last summer.
But what followed was an exceptional display of grit and determination from someone, who was low in confidence and believed that he had “lost his run-up”.
Mitchell Starc makes it clear that Shane Warne’s criticism didn’t help
With the very first ball of the Ashes series, Starc bowled England opener Rory Burns around his legs.
The 31-year-old fast bowler made it clear that the criticism from Shane Warne didn’t help him at all during his tough days. We have our own cricket prediction. Do read more here.
“I think, what was it? It was a straight half-volley on leg stump I think someone (Warne) said. What would you like me to speak to him (Warne) about? It doesn’t interest me at all. He’s (Warne) entitled to his opinion. I’m just going to go about my cricket the way I’d like to, and I’ve got my family support networks and I get to play cricket with some of my best mates, so I’m pretty comfortable with where I’m at,” said Starc.
Starc also said that what matters to him is the view of his friends and family, including his cricketer wife Alyssa Healy, who keeps wickets for the Australian women’s team and bats at the top of the order.
“I made it a key point of mine to not pay too much attention to, I guess, opinions outside of my circle of trust if you like, which I did a few years ago. And I think that’s kept me in a pretty level space through the last few years with either not playing the cricket I wanted to, or certainly challenges off the field.
“I’ve got a wife who plays at the highest level and a couple of my closest mates who play international cricket, so I’ve got a pretty good sounding board in that regard,” added Starc.
Interestingly, Starc and Alyssa were named Australia’s Men and Women’s ODI Player of the Year. Here are some betting apps india.
