Starc, Smith hail ‘depth, fielding, experience’ key to series<\/p>\n
The unbreakable Mitchell Starc is expected to be back bowling at the SCG a little more than a week after playing his fifth consecutive Ashes Test.<\/p>\n
In the aftermath of his Compton-Miller Medal-winning campaign against England, Starc could now push on for next year’s tilt at this veteran Australian team\u2019s final two bucket-list items: beating England and India away from home.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The left-armer’s staggering durability will be highlighted when he suits up for the Sydney Sixers \u2013 as soon as next Friday’s derby against the Thunder \u2013 in their push for an fourth KFC BBL title.<\/p>\n
Starc sent down 153.1 overs in seven weeks against England, holding an average pace above 140kph throughout. Every comparable high-pace bowler on either side of the Ashes divide \u2013 teammates Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, along with England’s Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood \u2013 all failed to see out the series.<\/p>\n
Mitchell Starc poses with the Compton\u2013Miller Medal \/\/ Getty<\/p>\n
That Scott Boland, whose 159.5 Ashes overs finished as the only tally greater than Starc’s, is expected to sit out the BBL to recover from the punishing workload only further underlines the medical marvel Starc has become.<\/p>\n
Starc retired from international T20s in a bid to extend his Test and ODI careers, but has enough left in the tank to turn out for the remainder of the BBL, which will hold its final five days before his 36th birthday.<\/p>\n
“I’m certainly not looking two years down the road just yet,” Starc said while sitting next to fill-in Test captain Steve Smith, another Sixers gun who could feature for the club as soon as Sunday’s clash with Hobart Hurricanes.<\/p>\n
“(I’ll) pull on the magenta with the man next to me, see if we can help (the Sixers) get to another final.<\/p>\n
“Part of the reason I gave away the T20 stuff, was trying to prolong my Test career. I feel like I can get some opportunities to put some time back in my body. That’s obviously paid off this series.<\/p>\n
“It’s not always the case, but I feel like on the last day of a five-Test series, I’ve felt in worse condition than I have this series.<\/p>\n
“So that means that the stuff I’ve been doing off the field is a good thing.”<\/p>\n
Outside Boland, Travis Head and Cameron Green were the only other Test squad members not expected to feature in the BBL season’s climax. Both those players are keys cogs in the Aussies’ T20 World Cup campaign in the subcontinent next month.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Starc’s long-term hope of making it through to next year’s marathon sequence of major events \u2013 the Aussies tour India and England either side of a possible third consecutive World Test Championship final appearance, while also then defending their ODI World Cup title \u2013 would leave him as Australia’s oldest frontline Test paceman since the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Questions over how this Test side can regenerate over the coming years are inevitable given the age profile of their main contributors this summer.<\/p>\n
The retirement of 39-year-old Usman Khawaja opens up a middle-order spot for when Australia play against Bangladesh in the Top End in August, though they could be welcoming back another veteran nearing 40 if Nathan Lyon (38) recovers from his hamstring injury.<\/p>\n
Australia’s three frontline bowlers in Sydney \u2013 Starc, Boland (36) and Michael Neser (35) \u2013 are all over 35, while Smith (35) and Alex Carey (34) are no spring chickens either. Josh Hazlewood (35) is another who will be back in the mix later in the year.<\/p>\n
“This group has shown that whilst there’s so much made about our age profile, at times through this series that experience has been a really good thing,” said Starc.<\/p>\n
“We’ve seen guys prove that if you’re still playing your role or if you’re still good enough, it shouldn’t matter how old you are.<\/p>\n
“Our group do that really well and tailor programs or preparation for that \u2013 and we’ve seen the results this year.”<\/p>\n
In the pink! Starc claims another big haul<\/p>\n
Winning four Tests out of five this summer certainly adds clout to Starc’s argument, leaving the distinct possibility Australia will boast an ever older playing group by the time they embark on their 2027 missions.<\/p>\n
Smith will turn 38 ahead of next year’s Ashes tour, while Starc will be 37 by the time Australia leave for an equally gruelling five-Test tour of India before that. Series draws in England in 2019 and 2023 have been the best the pair have managed in England, while neither has won a series in India.<\/p>\n
“It’s something that was always on my bucket list. I would love to have won in India and England, they’re the two big away tours for us as Australians,” said Smith.<\/p>\n
“Whether I’ll be there or not … I’m not sure. We’ll see. I’ll take it day by day, game by game. One day I might wake up and say I’ve had enough, but we’ll see.”<\/p>\n
Added Starc: “I’d love to go. We’ve had two really good chances in England to win. We have retained (the Ashes) \u2026 it’d love to tick off (wins in India and England) but we’ve got plenty of cricket before then.”<\/p>\n
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes<\/p>\n
First Test: Australia won by eight wickets<\/a><\/p>\n Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets<\/a><\/p>\n Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs<\/a><\/p>\n Fourth Test: England won by four wickets<\/a><\/p>\n