Indian Premier League: Mitchell Starc aiming to play in T20 tournament for first time in six years

Mitchell Starc senses the time is right to throw himself back into the IPL for the first time since 2016 – which is likely to cause an avalanche of cashed-up teams hunting his signature.

Australia's Mitchell Starc (R) reacts with England’s Dawid Malan on day five of the fourth Ashes cricket Test between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 9, 2022. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE —

Mitchell Starc is set to return to the lucrative Indian Premier League for the first time in six years.

While the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have cashed in with big pay days, Starc – who is arguably the premier white ball bowler in world cricket – has preferred to devote more time at home with wife Alyssa Healy.

However, with a Twenty20 World Cup defence in Australia coming up in October, Starc senses the time is right to immerse himself back in the shortest format and is set to throw himself back into this year’s IPL auction – which is likely to cause a frenzy of cashed-up teams hunting his signature.

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Mitchell Starc hasn’t played in the IPL since 2016.

With two extra franchises joining the competition, marquee stars like Starc are expected to break records on the open market.

“I’ve got two days to get my paperwork in. It might be something I do today before training,” Starc said.

“I haven’t put my name down just yet but I’ve got a couple more days to decide on that.

“That’s certainly on the table, regardless of what the schedule has coming up.

“I haven’t been for six years or so. There’s obviously a heavy weighting towards T20s over the last period of time and the World Cup is coming up later this year, so that’s one to take into consideration as well.”

Starc is set to back up and be the only fast bowler of the series to play in all five Test matches – as he declared he is ready to go for the pink ball finale in Hobart.

Scott Boland is in doubt to play after pulling up sore from Sydney, and Jhye Richardson is in line to play his second Test of the Ashes.

Starc says he won’t be volunteering for a rest in Hobart.

Starc said he won’t be volunteering for a rest despite a tough five-day slog in Sydney.

“I hope not. It’s a pink ball game,” he said.

“I’m feeling good. Obviously we’ve had a couple of days now to get ready for the fifth Test match. We’re training tonight and hopefully it’s not my turn to rest.”

Starc is by far the most successful pink ball bowler in the history of the format and Hobart’s history as a bowler-friendly surface will have England batsmen even more wary about facing the left-armer under lights.

Why Hobart could see major Aussie bowling overhaul

Selectors are keeping a close eye on Mitchell Starc’s workload heading into the fifth Test, as players are promised ‘Presidential’ security for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.

There are concerns bowler of the series Starc might be running low on gas after a hard slog in the Sydney Test, and while it’s difficult to imagine the pink ball king being left out of Hobart’s day-nighter, selectors want to be sure of his physical condition given the amount of cricket on the horizon.

Starc had a gym session on Tuesday and will train with the squad on Wednesday at Bellerive Oval, and while there’s no specific injury concerns with the fast bowlers and young all-rounder Cameron Green, a thorough medical will be conducted before a team is chosen for the finale against England.

Australia will need a fit and relatively fresh Mitchell Starc to be at the top of his game for the upcoming tour of Pakistan. Picture: Getty Images

Australian players have been given a preliminary briefing by head of cricket Ben Oliver on the March tour of Pakistan, with promises players would be looked after with the same security and biosecurity protection that would be afforded a travelling President or Prime Minister.

There are a few players still concerned about touring Pakistan given it’s been nearly 25 years since Australia last toured and it was only months ago New Zealand and England cancelled tours sighting security threats.

But the more immediate challenge is how to keep a superstar like Starc fresh for the white ball matches still to come this summer against New Zealand and Sri Lanka before the prospect of a huge three Test tour of Pakistan.

“I think it’s one of the conversations that we’ll have. Obviously he’s a key asset for us with the heavy schedule coming up, not only in the white ball, but also the tours that will come up soon afterwards,” said Australian selector, Tony Dodemaide.

Australia's paceman Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of England's batsman Haseeb Hameed in the Sydney Test. Picture: AFP

“We’ll see how he pulls up. Of course he’s in some really great form with both bat and ball.”

Jhye Richardson will be available for selection, and Boland is also expected to be fit given the side injury he picked up in Sydney was an impact injury and can’t get worse by bowling through.

Dodemaide said he wouldn’t have any concerns about his bowling attack being raw on experience if Cummins was the only senior star, and Starc was rested.

“We’ve got absolutely the depth to be able to cover if that was the case,” he said.

Meanwhile, Australia has gone to school on its next 18 months of Test cricket on the road, and are planning an Australia A tour of Sri Lanka to coincide with the Test team playing there, in a bid to battle-harden younger fringe players for next year’s huge tour of India.

Dodemaide will also continue working with curators at venues like Sydney and Canberra in the hope Australia can return to having a dedicated spin wicket which would help develop more well-rounded cricketers for overseas assignments in the future.

Players have an opportunity over the coming few weeks to make personal decisions over whether they feel comfortable touring Pakistan.

“The players now have had a preliminary briefing from Ben Oliver, which has only been in the last couple of days or so,” said Dodemaide.

“It’s a matter of getting information out to the players and staff, giving them time to think about it and come back with questions. So we expect that’ll play out over the next couple of weeks or so.”

Originally published as Indian Premier League: Mitchell Starc aiming to play in T20 tournament for first time in six years