SYDNEY: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc believes the busy schedule of play will eventually force him to withdraw from limited overs formats to prolong his red ball career as Test cricket is “always the first”.
The 32-year-old is one of six all-format players in the Australian squad.
“Testing (is) always first… way over the white ball,” said stark whose 4/47 led Australia to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series against England Saturday.
Starc is expected to be a vital cog in the team’s plans for the 2023 World Cup. He has also indicated his desire to participate in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States.
“I’ll decide the rest as I go, where my body is and how I feel about it.
“I would love, selection and form pending, to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible.” he added.
The left shipowner believes the busy schedule these days makes it “impossible” for players to play all three formats.
“It’s certainly impossible at the moment to play every game as a three-format player. Not as expected these days.”
To maintain his workload, Starc has skipped the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2015.
“We have seen that over the past few years sometimes there are two Australian teams playing at the same time on different continents in different formats. They see a break and start a series.
“I think those rest periods can help me keep playing at decent speeds for a while. I don’t think playing three formats is something I can (continue) for a long time now.”
Australia are currently playing a three-game ODI series against England which started four days after the end of the T20 World Cup.
Australia then host the West Indies for two Tests, followed by a series against South Africa.
The Pat Cummins-led team will then travel to India for the Border-Gavaskar four-test trophy in February-March.
The Ashes in England are scheduled for June 16-July 31 while the 50+ World Cup will be held in India in October-November next year.
The 32-year-old is one of six all-format players in the Australian squad.
“Testing (is) always first… way over the white ball,” said stark whose 4/47 led Australia to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series against England Saturday.
Starc is expected to be a vital cog in the team’s plans for the 2023 World Cup. He has also indicated his desire to participate in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and the United States.
“I’ll decide the rest as I go, where my body is and how I feel about it.
“I would love, selection and form pending, to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible.” he added.
The left shipowner believes the busy schedule these days makes it “impossible” for players to play all three formats.
“It’s certainly impossible at the moment to play every game as a three-format player. Not as expected these days.”
To maintain his workload, Starc has skipped the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2015.
“We have seen that over the past few years sometimes there are two Australian teams playing at the same time on different continents in different formats. They see a break and start a series.
“I think those rest periods can help me keep playing at decent speeds for a while. I don’t think playing three formats is something I can (continue) for a long time now.”
Australia are currently playing a three-game ODI series against England which started four days after the end of the T20 World Cup.
Australia then host the West Indies for two Tests, followed by a series against South Africa.
The Pat Cummins-led team will then travel to India for the Border-Gavaskar four-test trophy in February-March.
The Ashes in England are scheduled for June 16-July 31 while the 50+ World Cup will be held in India in October-November next year.
