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‘I had strong opinions, spoke to George at length’: Mitchell Starc opens up on T20 WC snub vs Afghanistan
Mitchell Starc has opened up on being benched in the all-important match between Australia and Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc was sensational in his team's emphatic win by 72 runs against England in the second ODI on Saturday. His brillinat spell of 4/47 helped the hosts win the three-match ODI series and gain 2-0 unassailable lead before the final ODI game. However, just a fortnight ago, the left-arm pacer was snubbed by the team in the T20 World Cup 2022.
Starc has opened up on being benched in the all-important match between Australia and Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2022. Australia needed a big win over the Afghan side to qualify for the semi-final but could only manage victory by four runs. Later England defeated Sri Lanka and stormed into the semi-final on the back of a better net run rate.
Starc revealed that he had spoken up with the Chairman of Selectors George Bailey after his exclusion from the playing XI against Afghanistan.
"George and I have spoken and that is where it will stay," Starc was quoted as saying by ICC website.
"I had strong opinions on it and had a conversation, and that's where it is. I spoke to George at length, it was a good conversation. Many different things were floated there," he added.
The 32-year-old further talked about his ambitions of representing Australia in the next T20 World Cup in 2024.
"I still have ambitions to play T20 cricket for Australia but it is a long time to the next one and a lot of water to go under the bridge. So we will face that when we get to that," Starc said.
Talking about the Indian Premier League, the fast bowler shut his critics who call for his participation in the IPL and advocate that it would make him a better bowler.
"It may have [hampered T20 bowling] but if I'd gone there(to IPL), having no break and playing 12 months of the year, what does that affect? Do I break down? Does it affect my red-ball cricket?
"You can't just sit there and go 'he should go to the IPL' because he'd be a better T20 bowler. What's the downside of that? Do I give away a format of the game because I'm playing 12 months of the year? In my mind I don't regret any of those decisions not to go. I wouldn't change it," he explained.
