Pulled out from IPL to play as much Shield cricket as possible, reveals Mitchell Starc

Widely regarded as one of the best white-ball bowlers of all time, Mitchell Starc, surprisingly in a WT20 year, pulled out from the IPL auction for the third year running. Starc last played in the IPL in 2015 and has since either missed the competition due to injury or workload management and once again, this time around, took the decision to not partake in the T20 tournament, despite there being a ludicrous demand for fast bowlers.

"Managing a few little things with the body and wanting to play as much red ball cricket as I could with certain guys heading off to the IPL, it was my intention to be the constant in the Shield team and hopefully play the role there as a senior head in the team.

It has been a tough summer for Starc, who, after starting off strongly in the pink-ball Test versus India, has struggled for rhythm. The left-armer came under immense criticism for a drab showing in both Sydney and Brisbane and has also found it difficult in Shield, where he’s picked just 15 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 41.53. But despite not getting the expected returns, the 31-year-old explained that playing in the Shield has helped him ‘take the handbrake off’ and express himself. 

"It was nice to find a bit of rhythm there and take the handbrake off a little bit and just try and get into a rhythm of bowling fast and try and be aggressive.

Despite slumping to an embarrassing 298-run defeat at the hands of Tasmania, a game in which they got bowled out for 32, New South Wales are still front-runners to make the final, sitting mighty in second spot with 29 points next to their name. Starc, who has never appeared in a Shield Final to date, claimed that winning a Shield Trophy has always been at the top of his bucket list.

"I haven't played in a Shield final yet, I'd love to help the boys get there and take part and hopefully be a part of the group to win the Shield.