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A Starc omission? How star paceman could find himself on World Cup outer
By Andrew Wu
One of Australia’s greatest white-ball bowlers, Mitchell Starc, is not guaranteed a spot in the side for the business end of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Starc have been a feature of nearly all of Australia’s recent major successes but coach and selector Andrew McDonald has foreshadowed the breaking up of that combination for the super eight and knockout stages of the global tournament in the Caribbean and US.
Mitchell Starc is not a guaranteed starter for Australia heading into the second phase of the T20 World Cup.Credit: ICC
And Starc, whose limited-overs highlight reel includes shattering Brendon McCullum’s stumps in the first over of a World Cup final, shapes as the paceman most likely to make way should selectors opt against the tried and true of Australia’s big three quicks.
There is a view among players that Starc is not in the best XI, regardless of whether conditions are friendly to pace or spin, according to a source close to the team speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of selection.
Some feel T20 specialist Nathan Ellis, with his wily variations and expertise at the death, is a better option than Starc on pitches where three frontline quicks are necessary, while McDonald has flagged his preparedness to play Ashton Agar as a second spinner on turning pitches.
On reputation, Starc is the first picked in any Australia white-ball attack, but his two wickets at 44 and economy rate of 8.8 runs an over place him behind the other frontline quicks in the squad. Preferred over Ellis against England in Australia’s only group game against a Test nation, Starc was belted for 37 runs from three wicketless overs.
Leaving Starc out of any important game would be a mammoth call given his ability to deliver in big moments, most recently in the IPL final when he bounced back after an underwhelming tournament by his lofty standards with a match-winning performance for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Starc (right) with Australia’s captain Mitch Marsh during the recent clash with Oman.Credit: AP
Only Adam Zampa has taken more T20 wickets for Australia than Starc, who has played in the country’s victorious World Test Championship, World Cup and T20 World Cup sides.
In Starc’s favour, George Bailey’s selection panel has generally, though not always, favoured experience when crunch decisions have needed to be made, having kept faith in David Warner during his protracted downswing as a Test player.
In this tournament, they have backed in veteran Matthew Wade over Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis over the less-experienced Cameron Green, and again maintained faith in Warner despite a series of jaw-dropping performances by young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk in the Indian Premier League.
“Definitely Hazlewood and Cummins will come back into that line-up, hence why they were rested last game to give them the best opportunity to press deep into this tournament,” McDonald said on SEN of the XI to face Bangladesh in Australia’s first super eight game on Friday morning (AEST) in Antigua.
“Nathan Ellis has been excellent as well with his creativity and defensive skills. If it’s a two-spin wicket we can go in with Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa and have to leave out a quick. We’ve got all that available to us. A healthy squad gives us great options at the selection table.”
The pitch in Antigua is expected to suit three fast men, but conditions in St Vincent have heavily favoured spin and produced winning totals of less than a run a ball.
With five games in 11 days should Australia make the final, there is every chance Starc will be required at some point to get through a busy schedule, even if he were to miss out against Bangladesh.
Drawn with India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Australia will need to win at least two games and have a strong net run rate to qualify for the semis.
“It’s very cut-throat,” McDonald said.
Australia take on Bangladesh from 10.30am AEST on Friday.
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