The Ashes 2019: Mitchell Starc gives timely reminder to selectors with quick short-ball net barrage
He’s likely to play no part again when the Ashes battle resumes on Thursday but Mitchell Starc is doing his best to get the Aussie batsmen prepared for another Jofra Archer bouncer barrage.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Smith fails to recover in time for Headingley
- Rules bent to fast track Archer into Ashes
- Paine: Not losing at Lord’s was a victory
Mitchell Starc unleashed the “airspeed” that makes him a feared man in home conditions on his Australian teammates with a handful of bouncers in the nets geared at preparing batsmen for this week’s Jofra Archer encore.
But the out-of-favour quick has also been working tirelessly on tailoring his fast-and-furious weaponry to English conditions in a bid to play a part in an Ashes series that he has not yet featured in.
Starc is likely to again miss out on selection at Leeds, but the left-armer declared he was bowling beautifully and ready to rock should selectors revert to their long-time strike bowler.
Stream the 2019 India Tour of West Indies on KAYO SPORTS. Every T20I, ODI and Test LIVE on your TV or favourite device. Get your 14-day free trial >
Starc sconned Marnus Labuschagne with a bouncer that was “right on the money” in a blow that required Steve Smith’s replacement to get checked out by the medicos.
“It’s not the first time I’ve bowled short at training. It’s part of the way I bowl, it just so happens that Marnus was the one who got hit again,” Starc told News Corp Australia.
“We’ve seen the first two Tests it’s been a part of both attacks and obviously Jof bowled a fair few last week.
“You’ve got to get the boys ready for the Test match. You don’t want to see people get hurt, but (bouncers) are a part of fast bowling to try and intimidate and get batsmen off their game.
“I didn’t bowl too many short ones, only a couple at the end there, and one was obviously on the money to Marnus.
“The boys were good. Marnus and Harry (Marcus Harris) and Bangers (Cameron Bancroft) were all sharp today and Mitchy Marsh was hitting them nicely, as he has the past few weeks.”
Starc was the World Cup’s leading wicket-taker and jagged 10 Test scalps against Sri Lanka in Canberra last February, which was Australia’s last match before the Ashes.
But the 29-year-old, who was speaking after a game of Woolworths Cricket Blast at the Kirkstall Abbey ruins, admitted the contrasting conditions had pushed him well down the pecking order.
“It’s been two no’s at (selection) at the moment, so you just go and work on your hydrolyte mix,” Starc said.
“I’m sure Manuka Oval is very different to anything over here. That was very flat and very hard and I could just run in and bowl fast there.
“Over here it’s not always about air speed. Something I’ve tried to develop not only this tour but the last couple of years is having a few extra strings to the bow.
“I still want to bowl fast here, but it’s not always about air speed. It’s a lot more off the wicket than just through the air. You still want swing, you still want seam – the seam ball tends to take the wicket here – but at the same time it’s bowling in partnerships.
LISTEN UP: Third Test preview with Robert ‘Crash’ Craddock.
Stream above now or search ‘Cricket Unfiltered’ on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from, and subscribe today!
“If I do play and my role is to bowl fast and aggressive and bowl with a (Josh) Hazlewood or a (Peter) Siddle, they can build pressure through constantly hitting that same spot.
“You can play so many different roles, it’s different to one-day cricket.”