Follow UsMitchell Starc knows he won’t be around till the next ODI World Cup but is in no mood to retire from the 50-over format after the ongoing showpiece event in India. The 33-year-old, however, did make it clear that he would happily let go of the two white-ball formats to prolong his Test career.
Once the 2023 World Cup is done, Australia won’t be playing any ODI cricket till February. They are also scheduled to tour England next September. The next big 50-over event will be the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
"I'll look to keep playing after this, but I don't doubt that I won't be making the next World Cup. I've no vision for that. Four years is a long," he told reporters in Kolkata.
"I've always maintained that Test cricket is the top of the tree for me and I'll drop off the rest before I let go of Test cricket. For me (the semi-final) is just another one-day game for Australia, it's not the end of the road in one-day cricket as yet for me."
Starc, who has taken 230 ODI wickets at 23.17, hasn’t been in great form in the ongoing tournament. The left-arm seamer has claimed 10 wickets in eight innings at an average of 43.90 and an economy rate of 6.55. Despite him not contributing much, Australia have made it through to the semis and will take on South Africa on Thursday (November 16) in Kolkata.
"I certainly haven't been at the level I would have liked…or not the same level as the last two World Cups anyway, but now a chance at the pointy end to impact again," he said.
"Certainly bowling first on particular wickets, the new ball with two fielders out I think has been almost the hardest time to bowl. You get a bit of an understanding of the wicket as the game goes on…that's not a sob story, that's the nature of one-day cricket.
"You've got two brand new balls on flat wickets, that's the nature of the World Cup if you look at the runs scored, or certainly centuries scored, as opposed to five wickets taken, the ratios are heavily skewed. Bowlers just have to find a way."
Starc was rested for Australia’s final league game against Bangladesh, and so was Glenn Maxwell. The two will be back for the all-important semi-final. "The way we started meant we couldn't rest anyone earlier in the campaign being 0-2. Had the chance with securing the semi-final spot the other night.
“Glenn after his knock and his cramping needed a bit of a rest and I didn't have much of a say in my decision. I've carried a few things from the Ashes and it was a chance before the semi-finals."