Melbourne [Australia], October 9 : Australia pacer Mitchell Starc, who signed with Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) for the first time in 11 years, said that the Test cricket schedule "should not be touched", terming the format as the "pinnacle".
On Thursday, the Sixers confirmed Starc's signing for the 15th edition of the BBL, with the bowler having announced his T20I retirement recently just months ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year. For over a decade, Cricket Australia (CA) has struggled to ensure the availability of its international stars for the competition, as they are mostly busy with international commitments. CA is considering selling the BBL teams and making the competition private, which would lead to skyrocketing salaries and attract the best Aussie internationals, overseas and domestic talent.
Earlier this year, CA chair Mike Baird emphasised how "critical" it was to ensure that a January window was created to have Australia's top cricketers available for the BBL. Under the proposed revamped window, the Aussie men's team would not be playing any international matches after the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) New Year's match, making sure that premium Aussie talent like Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, among others, stay available for the remainder of the tournament.
Starc, on Thursday, while speaking to the media as quoted by Fox Cricket, supported the BBL windows with one caveat.
"The Test cricket schedule is not to be touched," he said.
"Test cricket is the pinnacle. I do not think Test cricket should make way for T20 cricket at all, whether it is the BBL, the IPL, or anything else. The Test summer is the Test summer," he said.
"I would hate to see that change for domestic cricket. That is not a snipe at anyone, that is my opinion of Test cricket and where it sits on my priority list," Starc added.
Starc also said that BBL matches could be played on successive days, pointing out how T20 is not as "physically demanding" as the other two formats.
"I know they have shortened the BBL schedule already. I think that has been a positive impact," he continued.
"I know there are whispers and murmurings around whether there should be more teams or whether the window changes. That is for the people who are paid the big dollars at Cricket Australia to make those decisions, and we do not have much say in it," the Australian pacer said.
"My only opinion on it is Test cricket stays where it is and as it is," he concluded.
Earlier this week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Test captain Pat Cummins and his deputy, Travis Head, were offered nearly $ 10 million to play T20 leagues full-time and forgo international cricket.
Several IPL franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) have made a worldwide presence with their franchise owners getting teams in leagues in South Africa, UAE, USA, Caribbean and England. Recently, the South African batter Heinrich Klaasen and Nicholas Pooran from the West Indies were among cricketers who announced international retirement before reaching their peak and chose the T20 money.
Starc admitted that while he would not consider such an offer ever, it was not upto him to decide what is "right or wrong" in how sport is run in the modern landscape since different cricketers have different priorities.
"You'll have to ask those two if there's any truth to it or not," Starc said of the report.
"For me, Test cricket is always been the priority, so that is not going to change now. I am not playing T20 cricket, I am playing franchise cricket for the first time in a while, but the landscape is going to change one way or the other," Starc said.
"Whether guys might wake up and have different aspirations of playing for the same franchise across four different leagues. It is not for me to say what is right or wrong. As far as I am concerned, Test cricket is the pinnacle and will remain that way for me, and I will play as long as I can with that mindset," he added.
Starc, who enjoyed a two-month break after the Frank Worrell Trophy series win against West Indies in July, is set for an ODI return against India for three matches at home from October 19. He is also hoping for a Sheffield Shield appearance for New South Wales (NSW) before the first Test of the Ashes at Perth on November 21.
Skipper Cummins' doubt for Ashes opener puts more workload and pressure on Starc, Hazlewood and Scott Boland for the five-match series.
"It is always our intention to be available and play five Tests," Starc said.
"We will see how the summer pans out, but that certainly is the intention. The last two months are probably the longest I have ever had where I have not been injured, to have a chance to give my body a rest and have some sort of a pre-season in a way and actually invest some time in my body," he added.
"I feel like I am in a good spot returning to cricket," he concluded.
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