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Is Mitchell Starc under-appreciated by Australian cricket fans?
Lachlan Geleit • December 11th, 2024 11:11 am
Is Mitchell Starc under-appreciated by Australian cricket lovers?
While it may seem a silly question at first glance, SEN Cricket’s Adam Collins isn’t sure that the left-arm quick gets all of the plaudits that he deserves for his ability and overall record.
Starc ranks fourth all-time for Australia in overall international wickets (692), fourth in Test wickets (369), fourth in ODI wickets (244) and second in T20 wickets (79).
At 34, the New South Welshman isn’t slowing down either having most recently taken 6/48 & 2/60 in the 10-wicket win against India in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval.
While Starc’s record states that he should be rated amongst the nation’s greatest ever seam bowlers such as Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, Collins isn’t sure he’s valued as much as he should be by those who love cricket down under.
Collins gave Starc a bit of love and shone a light on his statistics on SEN Cricket’s The Day After following the Adelaide Test.
“He’s taken 692 international wickets across the three formats,” Collins said.
“He has three World Cup wins, a couple in the 50-over format and of course the T20 World Cup back in 2021.
“He’s won pretty much everything you can win, this is his eighth Border-Gavaskar Trophy series for instance, and he played a crucial hand in setting the tone in this Test match.
“Adelaide was built up to be the most important Test in a decade in Australia only days ago and he was immense.
“Is it possible, and I feel a bit weird saying this, that Mitchell Starc is under-appreciated in some quarters?
“That’s owing to the fact that we've got Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon in the same quartet, they've taken the better part of 1300 Test wickets together, it’s something absurd.
“Because of that, Starc is almost undervalued as to what he brings as that left-arm presence week in, week out.”
Starc will hope to continue his brilliant form when the Aussies face India in the third Test at Brisbane beginning on Saturday.
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