Shane Warne called Mitchell Starc soft. That was a wrong ‘un

A decade has passed since Shane Warne called Mitchell Starc soft against the touring Indians. With another Border-Gavaskar series about to start, the 34-year-old Starc is going harder and faster than ever.

A decade has passed since an innocuous short ball sent Phillip Hughes to the great pavilion in the sky. Some deliveries just have your name on it. Hughes shall never be forgotten by those who crossed his cheeky path. It’s somewhat heartwarming to see the scorecard of his final knock still lists him as 63 not out at the SCG. Forever unbeaten.

There was another development in the summer of 2014-15 that was infinitely less traumatic but noteworthy nonetheless.

Shane Warne unleashed a series of scathing assessments of a young quick by the name of Mitchell Starc. The southpaw swing-and-speed machine had lost a couple of qualities.

Swing, and speed. Starc was being carted all over the Gabba by India, conceding 27 runs in three overs while the radar yawned in the 125km/h range and the tourists shouted the Hindi equivalent of, “Bowl him both ends!”

Warne huffed, puffed and decided enough was enough. He grabbed his commentary microphone and offered his infamous character analysis of Starc.

“He looks a bit soft,” Warne said.

Mitchell Starc during his man of the match performance against Pakistan Picture: AFP

Now, you can say what you like about cricketers from this side of the picket fence. Call them inconsistent, out of form, under the pump, on the chopping block or in over the head, and they’ll sort of understand. Labelling them soft is a whole different ball game. The ultimate insult. We understood Warne’s point, for Starc did seem to be moping around a bit, and swing-and-speed merchants don’t have much going for them without their swing and their speed, but “soft” was a particularly cutting description. Starc might never live it down.

His better half, Alyssa Healy, tweeted on behalf of her man: “Any danger of something positive.” From Warne at the time, on the topic of Starc, no, there was no danger. Next day, he reckoned he didn’t call Starc soft, but then stood by his much-publicised comments. “I never at any stage called Mitchell Starc soft,” Warne said to the abject surprise of those who heard him call Starc soft. “What I did do was say his body language and his presence gave the appearance of being nonchalant and he needed to improve on his body language. It all was a bit nice and soft and easy. Not him. I stand by what I said because I agree with it.”

Warne didn’t say it. But he agreed with it? Bless him. The late and great superspinner was a tremendous commentator. He knew the game like the back of his bowling hand.

He was knowledgeable and opinionated. Not long out of the game. He’d ponder his own comment and decide he concurred wholeheartedly. Shane Keith Warne commentating on cricket was like Mick Jagger analysing a rock show; George Orwell reviewing a novelist; Picasso grading a painter. His words carried weight, he knew what he was talking about. “Never would SK Warne, 145 Tests, 708 scalps, receive the comeback of “Mate, what would you know?”

Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Brendon McCullum in the 2015 World Cup final Picture: Michael Klein

Starc could be called soft by a million of us and it wouldn’t have mattered. But when Picasso said it … the label must have stung the 24-year-old.

But here we are 10 years henceforth and Starc is preparing for another Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. He carries a totally different gravitas. He’s proved Warne wrong.

He finished his turbulent 2014-15 summer with one of the balls of the century, his inswinging yorker that blew Brendon McCullum’s stumps to smithereens in the first over the World Cup final at the MCG, and has become one of Australia’s finest all-time swing -and-speed merchants. Swing, and speed, have been in plentiful supply. When Warne was on his case, Starc had 45 wickets from 14 Tests at 36.22. Now he has 358 wickets from 89 Tests at 27.4.

Those aren’t soft numbers. Australia’s most successful Test bowlers: SK Warne (708 wickets), GD McGrath (563), NM Lyon (530), MA Starc and DK Lillee (355). Decent company. He’s going harder and faster than ever. When Starc came good and started becoming great, Warne claimed to want to clear the air because his sledges had never been personal. The fractured relationship was never mended.

“The disappointing part or the sad part is that we never got to have that conversation,” Starc said after Warne’s passing two years ago. “I guess we’ll never know.”

What do we know now? We know the 34-year-old Starc will line up for Australia against Pakistan in the ODI at Adelaide Oval on Friday. We know his form this season is so blistering it’s a bit ridiculous. We know he’s edge-of-your-seat viewing because every ball feels like a wicket ball. We know his 7-116 in his opening Sheffield Shield game against Victoria was breathtaking. We know his man-of-the-match 3-33 in the first ODI against Pakistan was ominously good ahead of the Tests. He’s looking unplayable.

While remaining nonchalant. The curse of the naturally gifted is looking lazy and soft when underperforming. Starc bowls like Mark Waugh used to bat.

When Waugh was on song, what a sight. So beautifully talented it could make you weep. But when M.E. Waugh was dismissed cheaply … you lazy, uncaring sod! Starc was lashed by Warne’s tongue as much for demeanour as performance. That same manner now appears quietly lethal.

Starc was yet to impress against India a decade ago. A different beast will greet the tourists in Perth from November 22. He has nothing left to prove. Warne’s verbal wrong ’un … was it merely his ingenious plan to rev up the young Starc? He took that secret to his grave. The biggest hint was received in his final interview in 2022. On the topic of his famous feud with Starc, Warne said, “I’ve got an opinion and I think it’s important that us commentators, or people in the game, yourselves (journalists) included, you’ve got to be honest with your opinions. Some people aren’t going to like it, which is fine. But maybe they might respect it. They might say, ‘I’ll show you’. That’s good, too. Maybe it might even inspire them. Who knows?”