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NEW DELHI: Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has expressed his dissatisfaction with the team management’s decision to drop him for the crucial T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Afghanistan.
The 2021 T20 World Cup champions faced a 21-run defeat, significantly impacting their chances of advancing to the semifinals. Starc’s exclusion marked the second consecutive World Cup game against Afghanistan he has missed, a trend that has fueled his frustration.
Australia opted to replace Starc with left-arm spinner Ashton Agar for the match.Agar managed to contain the Afghan batters but failed to take any wickets, a strategic choice that did not yield the desired results. Starc, speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, voiced his disappointment about being dropped.
“No — two World Cups in a row,” Starc was quoted as saying by PTI, referring to his exclusion from matches against Afghanistan in consecutive tournaments.
The decision to leave out Starc was influenced by previous games on the same ground in St Vincent, where spin had played a significant role. Starc explained the management’s perspective on the change.
“They saw previous games on that ground with spin playing a part and obviously Ash and the left-armer enticing them to make a change,” Starc explained.
This was not the first instance Starc had been sidelined for a match against Afghanistan in a T20 World Cup. In 2022, he was also omitted for a game in Adelaide, which similarly led to Australia failing to progress to the semifinals.
Australia subsequently lost to India in the Super Eights, leading to their elimination from the competition. Starc also criticized the tournament’s scheduling and pre-seeding arrangements, which placed Australia in a predetermined group despite topping the group stage.
“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,” he remarked.
He further discussed the logistical challenges of traveling in the West Indies, suggesting that the tournament’s structure could have been better planned.
“We had the two night games and the third was a day game, so it wasn’t the best preparation. We had a delayed flight out of St Vincent, a 90-minute drive from the airport to the hotel in St Lucia, and then a 10 o’clock toss,” Starc said.
He concluded by acknowledging the difficulties of traveling between venues in the Caribbean.
“Travel around the West Indies is probably not the easiest thing to do, certainly not to travel home from,” he noted.
Australia’s early exit from the T20 World Cup has sparked discussions about team selection and tournament logistics, with Starc’s comments adding fuel to the debate.
