‘The money's nice, but I'd love to play 100 Tests’

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc is one of the few top Australians who has consistently opted out of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), having last appeared there in 2015.
 
Starc has learned to manage his body and has been deliberate in choosing which cricket he plays – or doesn't – as his career wears on. 

"To choose not to do certain things to prolong playing for Australia, I've tried to be smart about that," Starc, who has played only two editions of the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), told cricket.com.au.

"Yeah, the money's nice, but I'd love to play 100 Test matches. Whether I get there or not, I don't know, but that would be a nice one to tick off. Hopefully there's a little bit left in me," he added.

To realise that particular ambition, Starc knows he might have to winnow his schedule further. A World Cup in India during October-November looms on the horizon. For now, Starc, a member of the 2015 ODI World Cup winning team and the 2021 T20 World Cup winning side, is yet to allow it to come into focus, but he isn't ruling it out as an ODI swansong as he considers jettisoning one of the white-ball formats.

"To play three formats for over 10 years, it's been a lot of pain along the way, but I'm grateful I've gotten that far. Whilst I've tried to add to the bow, as soon as I lose air speed, there's going to be someone chasing me.

"Once that next left-armer is coming through, yeah, I'm sure I'll know when I know." 
Starc had received a lot of flak for his unflattering performance in the last few years with the late Shane Warne even questioning his place in the team.

"That (media criticism) might have bothered me a few years ago, but I've certainly settled on a happy place where it doesn't bother me anymore," he said.

"If that's what people think, that's what they think … if I'm the whipping boy sometimes, that's fine."