Mitchell Starc’s self-belief wins out over armchair critics

Mitchell Starc says he put 450 armchair coaches to one side and looked within for the inspiration behind his blazing form turnaround in Canberra.

Mitchell Starc returned to form in Canberra.

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Mitchell Starc says he put 450 armchair coaches to one side and looked within for the inspiration behind his blazing form turnaround in Canberra.

The form of the Australian spearhead has been one of the talking points of the entire summer, and Starc admits he had to work hard to push the outside voices from his mind.

Former teammates Mitchell Johnson — who has publicly criticised Starc this summer — was among those trusted confidants he turned to, but in the end Starc realised it was down to him.

Starc made the frank admission before producing his express five-wicket haul on day three that he didn’t believe his position in the Australian attack ahead of the Ashes was safe.

Mitchell Starc takes the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva. Picture: Phil Hillyard

But on the last weekend of the summer the 200-Test wicket-taking machine gave a timely reminder of what he was capable of.

“I’ve been working on it a fair bit over the last bit. I had a really nice session with Andre Adams (NSW bowling coach) before the Sri Lankan series and talked to a few people quite close to me who I have worked with over recent years,” said Starc.

“And putting the rest of the coaching and the other 450 coaches I’ve had over the past three weeks to the side and going back to what I know best.

“I am my own best coach and I know what’s best for me.”

Mitchell Starc returned to form in Canberra.

Starc has been under siege from Shane Warne this summer and struggled to inject himself on flat wickets in Melbourne and Sydney when the series against India was on the line.

Against Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Gabba, he appeared like his confidence had been affected.

Starc said it was difficult to simply get back to shutting out the noise around him.

“That’s probably something I’ve really done the past four weeks. Not worry about it,” said Starc.

“It probably wore me down a bit going into New Year’s, then I got off all the social media and I haven’t read a paper in four or five weeks.

“That’s been the best thing for me, and it’s made me feel quite refreshed.

“As long as I know I have the backing of my teammates and I’m working hard, it will turn eventually.

“If you’re doing the right thing it can feel like it’s a long way away but things turned pretty quickly for me today.”

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Originally published as Mitchell Starc’s self-belief wins out over armchair critics