Mitchell Starc Criticises T20 World Cup Schedule; Explains His Omission From Super 8 Match Against Afghanistan

July 11, 2024 0 740

Mitchell Starc recently discussed his omission from the T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan and criticised the schedule of the tournament.

Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc has shed light on his omission from the playing XI for the crucial Super 8 match against Afghanistan in the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.

Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Starc acknowledged that the pitch conditions in Kingstown, favouring spin bowling, likely influenced the team management’s decision to pick Ashton Agar over him. “They [Afghanistan] probably played the spin quite well and batting first probably assessed the conditions a little bit better than we did,” Starc said.

While Agar bowled economically, he was unable to take wickets, and Australia went on to lose the match by 21 runs, effectively ending their World Cup campaign. This marked Australia’s second consecutive T20 World Cup disappointment, having also failed to reach the semifinals in 2022.

Starc, however, attributed the loss to broader team mistakes in batting and fielding. “We had a couple of stumbles that in the end cost us the game,” he stated.

Despite his omission in the Afghanistan match, Starc finished the tournament with five wickets in five matches at a decent economy rate. It’s important to note that Starc was a key member of Australia’s victorious squads in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2023 World Test Championship final, led by Pat Cummins.

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Beyond the selection issue, Starc expressed frustration with Australia’s scheduling and logistical challenges during the T20 World Cup. The pre-seeding format, he argued, disrupted their preparation due to factors like delayed flights and long travel distances between Caribbean islands.

“We finished ahead of England and end up where we were pre-seeded as the second side. All of a sudden, you’re in a different group,” Starc said. He questioned why a more concentrated schedule could not have been implemented at the beginning of the tournament, followed by a more spread-out format later.

Looking ahead, Starc is expected to be back in action for Australia’s upcoming series against England in September. The tour will feature both T20I and ODI matches.