Share

Starc promises 'no respite' for England

London - Mitchell Starc has told England there will be no let-up when they face Australia's pace attack in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on Wednesday.

The left-arm fast bowler took nine wickets in Australia's final warm-up match as they defeated county side Essex over the weekend and Starc is now set to be an increasingly important figure following the injury-enforced retirement of fellow-paceman Ryan Harris.

But with Australia's squad also including another left-arm fast bowler in Mitchell Johnson, as well as emerging right-arm seamer Josh Hazlewood, the 25-year-old Starc is looking forward to seeing England's top-order batsmen unsettled by pace and movement.

"Having some guys who can bowl some good heat - and we can swing it - it is always good to see those batsmen jumping around and making life hard for them," said Starc, who had a brief spell with reigning English county champions Yorkshire during 2012.

"When you have a few guys who can consistently bowl over 140kph (87mph), that is great to have because there is no respite.

"We will have Mitch Johnson coming in, who has terrorised England in Australia, then Josh and I are following on and can hopefully both push it up a decent pace as well."

Starc, Australia's man of the tournament when they won this year's World Cup, added he had increased his pace and that would help him combat the effect of unresponsive pitches.

"I have probably gained a yard or two but for me it is that consistency, which is what I was questioned about for a long time and tried to find," he said.

"There is that confidence in myself now that in a pretty dead, lifeless wicket I can produce consistently.

"Now over the last six months, it is really getting to the point where it needs to be in terms of being able to swing the ball for a while.

"It is all merging into one and I am starting to see results."

Amid all the talk of 'sledging', Starc said he had little time for verbal spats with opposition players.

"I am not one to chirp the batsmen, I am just trying to concentrate on bowling and do my own thing," he said.

"I am not the same all-out aggression like Mitch (Johnson), and am not going to change the way I play cricket just for one series.

"I am still going to be trying to do the same thing I have done over the past 12 months, to play some good cricket."

Starc's time at Yorkshire, delayed by visa problems, did allow him to get to know three England batsmen in Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth. "I spent a lot of time with them in those three months when I was here," Starc recalled.

"They have gone on to bigger things now, playing for England, and done well.

He added: "I only played one-and-a-half (County) Championship games with them, so for us it is more for the way we have watched them play in the last (Test) series against New Zealand.

"We will definitely sit down and discuss the whole line-up, not just those three, before the first Test, but I will be giving all that I know about them," Starc said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE