Will consider playing in IPL if it’s held in October, states Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc has enjoyed a strained relationship with the Indian Premier League (IPL), as despite firmly establishing himself as the best white-ball bowler in world cricket, the pacer has seldom appeared in cricket’s biggest franchise competition. Starc’s last appearance in the tournament came back in 2015, a 20-wicket campaign where he led RCB to the playoffs, but has since missed every season either due to injury or voluntarily opting out of the competition. Ahead of the IPL 2020 auction, too, the 30-year-old revealed his unwillingness to participate in the competition, thus not enrolling his name in the same.

However, the left-arm pacer has now taken a U-turn and has hinted at the possibility of partaking in the tournament should it be held towards the latter half of this year.  Such a move, however, would require the BCCI to allot special permission, given Starc would be currently ineligible to be signed as even a replacement player owing to him not enrolling himself in the auction list.

"I'd consider it, I'd think about it," Starc told cricket.com.au, talking about the possibility of partaking in the IPL if it’s held in October.

“Obviously it'd be right at the start of our domestic season as well so it'd be a fair bit to consider. But I don't currently have a contract, so I currently don't have to worry."

The IPL being held in a September/October window would mean it directly clashing with domestic cricket dates and many people, including former Aussie skipper Ian Chappell, have requested the Aussies to prioritize domestic cricket in such a scenario. However, Starc believes that it’s up to the individual to make their own choices and added that Cricket Australia are also obliged to let the players go, given they have pre-existing contracts with the IPL franchises. 

"There's a lot of things that would have to go into that I assume. Cricket Australia would have to clear those guys so if they're clear to go, I don't see a problem with it. They're pre-existing contracts and they would have been playing anyway. There's obviously a different hurdle of domestic cricket there. It'd be an interesting decision, not one I'd have to make, so I'll let them make their decisions."