On Sept 1st, Australia’s modern great Mitchell Starc made a formal announcement regarding his retirement from T20 Internationals. He said that he is retiring from T20 cricket to concentrate on Test and ODIs. The 35-year-old, who made his T20I debut in 2012, retires with 65 T20I appearances and 79 wickets – second to Glenn Maxwell with 82 on the all-time list of Australian T20I wicket-takers. Starc’s last T20 match was during the 2024 World Cup in the Caribbean and has chosen to retire six months ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
“Test cricket is, and has always been, my number one priority,” said Starc in a statement. “I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, and especially the 2021 T20 World Cup, not just because we won, but because of the amazing group we had and the fun we had.”
Australia is starting a challenging international Test schedule starting in mid-2026 – featuring home games against Bangladesh, away tours of South Africa and New Zealand, and a five-Test series in India. Starc is preparing for the Test cricket and the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup. The tournament will be held across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from October to November 2027, and Australia will be attempting to defend its title.
“Starc’s ability to swing the new ball and bowl yorkers at speed has been one of the cornerstones for Australia’s T20 bowling group. “I don’t know that we’re going to find someone swinging a new ball at 145kph,” said chief selector George Bailey. “But we have had performance from Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett. Maybe it’s more about reshaping roles, rather than getting someone to replace Starc, just like for like.”
Though Starc is not in the picture, the Australia T20I side has been successful, and in their past 17 matches, they have gone 14-3-0 without him. Starc’s retirement coincides with the announcement of the squad for the upcoming T20I against New Zealand in October, and some notable omissions will be Cameron Green and Nathan Ellis.
Matt Short and Marcus Stoinis have returned to the squad, and Mitchell Owen is now cleared to play after recovering from a concussion. Starc may close the chapter on his T20I career, but his legacy remains as a World Cup winner and one of Australia’s finest fast bowlers, as he prepares to make one last charge in Tests and ODIs.
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