Starc not an automatic choice for Ashes, says Mark Taylor
Guru SaiReporter
Posted - 2019-02-01T22:41:55+06:00
Updated - 2019-02-01T22:41:55+06:00
Former
captain Mark Taylor makes a huge statement on out of form pacer
as he reckons that the pacer would struggle to make it to the playing XI for the upcoming Ashes. Taylor's remarks came to light following Starc’s lack of variety with the ball in Tests.
[caption id="attachment_115024" align="aligncenter" width="610"]
Mitchell Starc[/caption]
Starc didn't find his rhythm got going against
. On the contrary, his counterpart
was at his impressive best in the series-opener against the Lankans. Cummins finished with 10 wickets to boast his record while Starc hardly had anything to show for as he managed just 2 wickets.
Taylor believes Starc is not an automatic choice to get into playing eleven for the upcoming Ashes in
. "Australia’s Big Three fast bowlers is on the verge of becoming a Big Two. Mitchell Starc’s membership is in danger of being revoked. This has not been a great summer for the big quick which is why it’s so important he gets something out of the final Test of the season," Taylor wrote in a column for Fairfax.
Taylor also remembers Starc’s performance in the last tour of England and even doubted that he would be an automatic selection in the playing eleven.
"I no longer have him as a certainty for the Ashes, but as a probable. My issue with him in England is his inability to maintain pressure. He took a bag of six and five in 2015 but he leaked four to five runs an over in those innings and Australia lost comfortably. His higher run rate places extra pressure on the other two quicks to keep it tight," he wrote.
Paine backs Starc
Despite all such criticisms, Starc has the backing of his skipper Tim Paine who believes in him hoping that he would bounce back mentally stronger. Considering Cummins’ incredible run of form puts him streets ahead of Starc’s poor performances and the decision to hand over the ball to Cummins might be running in Paine's mind. However, Paine, on Thursday said that Starc would still continue to be Australia’s new-ball bowler.
"We’ve used Starcy (Starc) for a long time with the new ball and we think he is still our best new-ball bowler when he gets it right, so we’ll always give him the first few," Time Paine told the reporters. "Hopefully he can swing a few and if he does we know he is more than likely to get an early breakthrough. What we have done is brought Pat on a lot earlier than what we have done in the past."