Why Mitchell Starc Stands Out as the Most Selfless Modern Cricketer
Mitchell Starc, Australia's best bowler across all formats, recently announced his retirement from T20 internationals. Even after getting repeated success in the shorter format of the game, the legendary pacer has decided to focus more on the Tests and the 2027 World Cup.
Another retirement has been added to the list of retired players in 2025, as Mitchell Starc has decided to retire from the T20 internationals. It was quite a shock to the fans worldwide, as they expected Starc to play for Australia in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will take place in February.
Just months before the T20 World Cup, Starc pulled out of retirement, and now the Australian team will have to look forward to his replacements in the shorter format of the game. However, amidst his retirement, there has been one positive thing, which is that Starc will now be focusing on Test cricket and the 2027 World Cup.
In the era where players retire to play more in the T20 leagues and increase their career length, Mitchell Starc has established himself as the most selfless player by putting his nation first. Cricket analysts also say that Starc could have played T20Is for Australia, as he is still in his best form, despite being 35 years old.
There have been players such as Heinrich Klaasen, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran, and even Starc’s teammate, Steven Smith, who retired from the internationals to focus more on the T20Is. But on the other hand, it is the one and only Mitchell Starc, who has set the T20 format aside to focus more on the ODI and Test formats for Australia.
Mitchell Starc: The Veteran Who Delivers
Mitchell Starc can be called Australia’s finest bowler in this generation, as he is not just able to take wickets in the Tests, but also in the limited-overs format of the game. In the T20I format, he played 65 matches for the Australian team and took 79 wickets at an average of 23.81 and an economy of 7.74 runs per over.
| Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling (BBI) | Bowling Average | Economy Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 79 | 4/20 | 23.81 | 7.74 |
Over the course of Mitchell Starc’s career in the shortest format of the game, fans have noted that he never kept it much on a priority, by playing more in the T20 leagues. Still, he was able to deliver for Australia even in the T20 World Cups, when he was a part of the team. In 25 matches he played for Australia in the Men’s T20 World Cup, he took 32 wickets at an average of 25.43. He has also helped Australia win the T20 World Cup 2021.
In his retirement speech, Mitchell Starc put emphasis on why he is retiring from the shortest format of the game. He said:
Test cricket is and has always been my highest priority. I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way.
Australia is having a hectic run in the Home tests from mid-2026, and Starc would remain a crucial element in the team’s bowling attack for the same. First, they will have a home Test series against Bangladesh, following which the team will go for a tour of South Africa. This will be followed by another home Test series against New Zealand, after which the team will go to India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Following this, Australia will have a one-off Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and this Test holds importance for their 150th anniversary game. In mid-2027, Australia will again be having an away Ashes in 2027. Along with that, his main focus is playing the 2027 World Cup for Australia, as the team will be entering the tournament as the defending champions.
Mitchell Starc talked about his interest in the upcoming Test cycle and ODI World Cup by saying:
Looking ahead to an away Indian Test tour, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup in 2027, I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns. It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.
Over the last few Test series and ODI matches played by the Australian team, Mitchell Starc has been able to deliver great performances consistently. During the Ashes 2023, he was the Player of the Series, having taken 23 wickets in 7 innings at an average of just 27.08 runs per wicket. Later in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, he was among the leading wicket-takers for Australia, with 18 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 28.66.
It should also be noted that despite Australia losing against South Africa in the WTC final, Starc fought as the lone warrior for his team. He was able to take 5 wickets combined in both innings, and even scored 58 runs off 136 balls in the second innings, which helped Australia to set a competitive target for the Proteas. Now, it seems that Starc will be focusing more on Tests to help Australia win their second WTC.
Starc was not able to give his best to Australia in the World Cup 2023, as he took 16 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 33 and an economy of 6.06 runs per over. Overall in the World Cup, he has been dominant, with 65 wickets in 28 matches at an average of 19.29, and an economy of just 5.15 runs per over. Since Starc has already won two World Cups with Australia, he is now eyeing the third one in World Cup 2027.
Stars Who Hung Up Their Boots to Focus on T20s
Mitchell Starc has been an exceptional case in the modern generation, where players decide to focus more on the T20 format rather than playing for their country. There have been a number of star performers who hung up their boots from the international format to focus on the T20s.
Steven Smith
Steven Smith, the teammate of Mitchell Starc, has also started to focus more on the T20 leagues. Following Australia’s loss in the 2025 Champions Trophy semi-final, Steven Smith announced his retirement from the ODI format and said that it is the right time for the young players to pave their way for the 2027 World Cup.
But, he has started to play in various T20 leagues taking place around the world. However, he has also confirmed that he will be available for the Australian team in the Test format for the next few years. He is one of the most experienced players in the longest format of the game, having scored 10477 runs in 119 matches at an average of 56.02, with 36 centuries and 43 half-centuries.
Heinrich Klaasen
Heinrich Klaasen is one of the biggest examples of players who have prioritised the T20 leagues over international cricket. One of the finest finishers for the South African team, Klaasen won’t be appearing in the Proteas jersey anymore. Announcing his retirement in June 2025, Klaasen said that the primary reason for his retirement was to spend more time with his family.
Later, he also said that he wanted to play in more T20 leagues, and Cricket South Africa (CSA) was not allowing him to do so, leading to disagreements. Due to this reason, Heinrich Klaasen has retired from the international format, and fans will be able to see him participate in more T20 leagues. Having played 60 ODIs, 4 Tests, and 58 T20Is, Klaasen contributed well to the Proteas.
Andre Russell
Andre Russell, who made his debut for the West Indies in 2010, ended his prolonged international career in July 2025, playing his last T20I series against Australia. However, it should be noted that Russell was mostly unavailable to play for the West Indies, which also led to the clashes between him and the cricket board. In his international career, he had played just 1 Test, 56 ODIs, and 86 T20Is for his national team.
On the other hand, he has played more than 100 games in the Caribbean Premier League and Indian Premier League, respectively, and continues to play in them. Fans would be able to find Russell playing in almost every T20 league taking place around the world, such as the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, Vitality Blast, International League T20, and much more.
Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran is yet another example of a player who has chosen retirement from all formats of the game to focus more on the T20 leagues. Pooran announced his retirement at the age of just 29, which shook the world, but he also stated that his focus will be on the T20 leagues taking place around the world.
He is not just the only West Indies player who has chosen T20 leagues over the national side, but has joined the list with many others. Ending his 8-year-long international career, Pooran finished with 61 ODI and 106 T20I matches for the Caribbean, and scored 3 centuries and 24 half-centuries throughout his international career.
Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell is another Australian star who won’t be available for the team in the 2027 World Cup, as he retired from the ODI format earlier this year. He ended his ODI career after representing Australia in 149 matches, scoring 3990 runs at an average of 33.81, with 4 centuries and 23 half-centuries.
His contributions were not just with the bat, as he also took 77 wickets in the ODI format, including the most important wicket of Rohit Sharma in the 2023 World Cup final. Maxwell has been participating in various T20 leagues as of now, including some top tournaments such as Major League Cricket, Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, Vitality Blast, and more.
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