New Delhi, August 21
Mitchell Starc is preparing for what could be a defining year in his cricketing career as he approaches his 35th birthday in January.
With a five-Test series against India on the horizon, Starc is closing in on the remarkable milestones of 400 Test wickets and 100 Test matches.
However, the left-arm seamer remains grounded about these achievements, focusing instead on his contribution to the team rather than personal accolades.
Starc, who has been a mainstay in Australia's bowling attack, acknowledges the potential of his name being etched among the legends of the game but maintains that records have never been his primary motivation.
"It's very humbling. You see the numbers, but it's never been a real motivator for me... It's nice to have played a part for as long as I have and hopefully, there's a few more Test matches in me yet," Starc said when asked about the possibility of joining the elite 400-wicket club.
In March, Starc surpassed the legendary Dennis Lillee's tally of 355 Test wickets, cementing his place as one of Australia's most successful fast bowlers. Only Glenn McGrath and Lillee stand ahead of him in terms of wickets taken by Australian seamers.
While McGrath extended his career until 36 and Lillee retired at 34, Starc's future remains undecided, though he acknowledges the challenges of sustaining a fast-bowling career at an elite level as he ages.
Despite being in what many would call the twilight of his career, Starc has shown no signs of slowing down.
Since the end of the 2019 Ashes, he has been a constant presence in the Australian Test side, consistently performing at the highest level.
Over the past five years, only a select few bowlers, including Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Lyon, and Pat Cummins, have taken more Test wickets than Starc's impressive haul of 143.
Starc's commitment to international cricket has been unwavering, even at the expense of lucrative opportunities in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
His decision to forgo potentially $10 million in IPL earnings to focus on representing Australia has only enhanced his reputation as one of the nation's greatest white-ball bowlers.
However, Starc is realistic about his future, particularly when it comes to balancing the demands of all three formats of the game. While English icon Jimmy Anderson recently retired at the age of 42, Starc does not envision following the same path. Instead, he remains focused on the immediate challenges, including a home Ashes series and the Champions Trophy, which are both on the horizon in the next 18 months.
"I've been very lucky to play three formats for a very long time," Starc said, reflecting on his career while promoting Amazon Prime's free same-day delivery service in Sydney.
"How long that will continue, I'm not sure. The scheduling of three formats is getting harder and harder and finding blocks of time to spend time on my body is going to take away from others," Starc said as quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald.
For Starc, Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport, and he is determined to continue playing at the highest level for as long as his body allows.
"Tests are still definitely the pinnacle for me and I think my body will play a part in that decision whenever it gets to it," he stated.
"I've never been that bowler and there's plenty of better bowlers around the country to fill that job," he noted.
While the future may hold uncertainty, Starc has not set an end date for his career just yet. Instead, he is eagerly anticipating the upcoming summer and the challenges it will bring, keeping an open mind about how much longer he will continue to wear the Baggy Green.
"I'm really looking forward to this summer and I haven't put any expiry date on anything just yet," Starc concluded.