Mitchell Starc has called on Australian groundsmen to prepare traditional, lively pitches for the upcoming Ashes series, dismissing concerns about revenue from five-day Tests. The left-arm quick made the plea after a fiery Sheffield Shield performance, where he took 4-91 off 18 overs for New South Wales against Victoria at the SCG.
Starc described the SCG pitch as “docile” and expressed hope that curators would “stick to their guns” and prepare wickets they want, rather than worrying about matches lasting five days. “If we’re worried about five days of revenue then there are bigger problems at hand,” he said.
The comments come as Australia prepares to face England’s aggressive Bazball tactics in the first Ashes Test in Perth next week. Starc noted that docile pitches could play into England’s hands, saying, “No doubt (we’ll see that from England) especially if they prepare docile wickets like this.”
Starc’s Shield performance marked his return to red-ball cricket since the West Indies tour in July, where he claimed 6-9 in the fourth innings of the third Test. He admitted he struggled in the recent ODI series against India but believes he has identified and fixed the issues after reviewing footage.
“I think I have (worked out what wasn’t clicking). I’ve just been speaking to Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) just then and I think I’ve sorted it out,” Starc said. “Now it’s about getting the engine going again.”
Victorian batter Peter Handscomb, who scored 104, praised Starc’s intensity, saying, “After lunch, Starcy fired up a bit there and got the ball whizzing through. With the summer of cricket coming up, that’s exciting to see.”
