‘Fraught with danger’: Mitchell Starc dons gloves during warm-ups

Mitchell Starc may have been rested from Australia’s last World Cup group match but a rare occurance has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull was unimpressed with Mitchell Starc’s decision to don the gloves during warm-ups ahead of Saturday afternoon’s World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune.

Starc was rested for the inconsequential group-stage contest at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, with NSW seamer Sean Abbott replacing him in the starting XI.

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Before the toss, Starc helped out during the warm-ups by whipping on the gloves and keeping against his fellow quicks.

It’s not that odd for Starc as the 33-year-old was a wicketkeeper in his youth before discovering his true calling as a fast bowler.

Speaking in commentary, Doull warned that allowing Starc to keep against his teammates was “fraught with danger” because it could expose the left-armer to potential injury.

“I know he’s probably getting keeping lessons at home from (wife) Alyssa Healy,” Doull said.

“He was actually wicketkeeping this morning to the quick bowlers, and I thought, ‘That is fraught with danger’.

“You’ve got a couple of games left in the World Cup, and you’ve got the gloves on wicketkeeping to the quicks. If you get one on the finger, I just didn’t think that was overly smart.”

Starc helping his teammates warm up. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

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Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden continued: “Not that I watch your forehead closely, but I saw it crinkle up, with one eyebrow raised.

“You’re having the day off, the last thing you want to do is break a finger.”

Starc has been far from his best in the World Cup thus far, taking ten wickets in eight matches at 43.90, leaking 6.55 runs per over.

“He hasn’t really made any impact,” Hayden continued.

“He just hasn’t quite been on song.”

Starc used to be a wicketkeeper as a kid, having met his wife and Australian women’s wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy as nine-year-olds playing in the Northern Districk Junior Cricket Association.

They were later competing for the wicketkeeping duties in the under-11s rep team.

Originally published as ‘Fraught with danger’: Mitchell Starc dons gloves during warm-ups