Mitchell claims he’s not the main man for Aussies
LONDON: Mitchell Starc insists Australia’s Ashes hopes don’t rest entirely on his shoulders, claiming the side has an attack that can do the damage with or without him being in the wickets.
The left-arm pace ace is seen as the main Baggy Green bowler, and having become only the eighth man in history to take two hattricks in a first-class game is very much a man in form.
Starc, however, played down talk that he had to dominate the England batsmen, just as fellow left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson did four years ago.
“I think we have an attack that is gelling well,” Starc said.
“It doesn’t have to be one guy who stands up. If someone has a Mitchell Johnson-type series, fantastic.
“But if we win the Ashes it doesn’t matter who gets all the wickets.
“Hopefully we can stay together as a (bowling) group and do something special over the next few years.”
The first Test, in Brisbane, gets underway next week and the reason for Starc’s optimism is not hard to find. Taking the new ball with Josh Hazlewood, with another quick in Pat Cummins to follow up, the Australia attack looks both menacing and balanced.
Hazlewood will be fresh and rested for the series, having played just one Sheffield Shield game since coming back from a sidestrain injury.
Test spearhead Starc may have grabbed the headlines with his two hat-tricks for New South Wales against Western Australia, but he claims Hazlewood will prove to be Australia’s spark.
Starc said Hazlewood’s nagging line and length would tie up one end and allow him and Cummins to attack from the other.
“He’s a genius with line and length, it allows Pat and I to be aggressive and that’s how I bowl,” Starc said.
“We can unleash from the other end, bowl as quick as we can and attack.
“He (Hazlewood) takes his wickets with line and length and Pat and I come in and try and blast teams out, try and attack the stumps and really intimidate.
“We complement each other really well.”
Meanwhile, England’s Moeen Ali has overcome his side strain and is ready to play his first Australian tour match in Townsville this week.
The all-rounder missed England’s opening two games in Perth and Adelaide but is available for the final Ashes warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI starting tomorrow.
“I am good,” he said. “It’s just a slight strain on my side from throwing.
“I feel like I am ready to play and I can’t wait to spend time in the field. We have got four days of cricket ahead.
“I can get a bit of game time in my system and then be ready to play (in the first Test).”