Starc relishing chance to make his mark again

Mitchell Starc knows just how to ride the emotional roller-coaster of expectation - but he certainly won’t be giving England any tips.

Starc’s 22 wickets saw him named player of the tournament when Australia lifted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at the MCG four years ago.

His blistering speed saw him finish with an incredible average of 10.18, an economy rate of 3.50 and a record of taking at least two wickets in each of Australia’s eight matches.

The left-armer famously claimed six wickets in a one-man demolition of New Zealand in the group stages and then took two more in the final.

“There’s so much good about playing at home but it does come with a lot of added pressure and expectation is so much higher,” said Starc, who sat out of Australia’s warm-up win over the hosts at the Hampshire Bowl on Saturday.

“England have played some fantastic cricket since the last World Cup and they are rightly the favourites.

“I know how the pressure can build when you are playing at home and thankfully we had some experienced guys around us four years ago. to keep us focussed, they’ll need that to. I also know it can turn really quickly with a loss or two.

“The feeling we had in 2015 has certainly motivated this group - and to do it again, away from home, would be just as special.”

Starc’s performances four years ago will forever define his career, ending the tournament ranked number one in the world, famously skittling New Zealand skipper and talisman Brendon McCullum for a duck in the final.

However, he’s not content for the story of his career to be written just yet, with a huge few months to come in England

Aaron Finch’s side are not the favourites this time around, ranked fifth in the world behind New Zealand, South Africa, India and the hosts.

However, Australia have a heritage of finding a new level when big tournaments start and, noteworthy for their rivals, they are starting to pick up momentum.

They came back from two games down to beat home side Indian in a best of five ODI series and then inflicted a 5-0 whitewash on Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

“I’ve never lacked motivation when I pull on this shirt, it’s everything to me playing for my country and something I will never take for granted,” added Starc, who admits he’s still never watched the last final, apart from the trophy celebrations.

“We had so much fun at the last World Cup and that’s going to be key to being successful here. You can’t train every day, you’ve got to grab your downtime when you can, otherwise it’s a very long six weeks.

“You play your best when you are smiling and I have that feeling in this group. There are different guys but it reminds me a lot of four years ago.

“It’s felt like a really long lead up and after those tours of India and the UAE, it would have been nice to start straight away. It seems the World Cup in Brisbane was a very long time ago and we’re keen to just get stuck in.”

In the weeks ahead, with the ten ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup teams playing each other before four progress to the semi-finals, expect plenty of quotes about losing a battle but not the war.

And while just one team will be triumphant and nine will be ultimately vanquished, perhaps it pays not to stretch the metaphor too far, losing your wicket is never the ultimate sacrifice.

Perspective is important in these matters, something not lost on Australia’s 26-year old vice-captain Pat Cummins.

Before arriving in England, Cummins and his team-mates travelled to Gallipoli, the Turkish peninsula where 11,000 Australians and New Zealanders lost their lives in a disastrous Allied offensive just over 104 years ago.

It was fiasco that forged a storied legend, the first military campaign for a youthful nation, which still remains entrenched in the definition of what it means to be Australian.

“We never realised how big an impact it would have on us, how 15 egotistical blokes can be so moved by such an emotional and humbling experience,” said Cummins. “We learned a lot about ourselves and our team-mates.

“You are taught about Gallipoli at school but until you are there you cannot grasp the full picture. It kicked off our World Cup, spending four days totally away from cricket, understanding more about our culture and history and the values those Diggers had.

“We all took so much from it and by the time we landed in England we felt like we were a really tight unit.

“Until you are standing over a gravestone learning what these guys, who were the same age as us now, did for their country, you can’t really understand it.

“Their sacrifices for their mates just really hit home. It just stripped everything back, when you are there, you realise what’s important in life, why you like playing cricket and hanging out with your mates on this team.

“Hopefully when we are in the crux of the tournament and we are coping pressure and heat, you’ve got those mates to fall back on.”

Cummins, eloquent and thoughtful, perfectly strikes the balance between his leadership role and being ‘one of the blokes’.

But it’s how he performs with the ball in the days ahead that will be his ultimate cricketing judge.

Brett Lee, who knows how to inspire Australia to World Cup success, taking 22 wickets in the 2003 tournament, believes this could be Cummins’ time, labelling him his ‘one to watch’.

It’s a compliment that the world’s leading Test match bowler shrugs aside, acknowledging his ODI career - with 82 wickets from 48 matches - remains a work in progress.

“It’s nice of Brett to say that,” he added.

“I’m bowling as well as I ever have. I still feel this is a format of the game that I’ve not been able to totally dominate. I’ve had a couple of good series but you judge yourself on how you go in the big tournaments, so I’m just pumped for this.

“I’m bowling better with the new ball and hopefully there’s wickets in the middle overs and I can limit the damage at the death. It’s all falling together at the right time.”

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