Mitchell Starc is set to become the second Australian pacer after Glenn McGrath and the 16th player overall from his nation to achieve the feat
Mitchell Starc. Pic/AFP
Australia's premier pacer Mitchell Starc is set to play his 100th Test match against the West Indies, and head coach Andrew McDonald feels that the speedster is deserving to get all the praise coming his way.
"He’s sacrificed a fair bit along the way as well… some of the IPL that he’s missed to get his body right to play for Australia. Really proud of him. He should get all the plaudits this week that he deserves,” McDonald was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Starc is set to become the second Australian pacer after Glenn McGrath and the 16th player overall from his nation to achieve the feat.
So far in 99 Test matches, the pacer has claimed 395 wickets with an average of 27.39. He also has 15 five-wicket hauls to his name in the longest format of the game. He is also handy with the bat as he has scored 2,311 runs with a top score of 99 runs.
Australia's skipper Pat Cummins, too, hailed Starc by saying he is a warrior and he has respect for clocking high speeds in the longest format of the game.
"I can’t fathom playing 100 games and keeping that kind of speed. He’s a warrior, turns up every week and just cracks on. He’s such a low-fuss kind of guy. All things going well, it’ll be a great week for him," said Cummins.
Fellow pacer Josh Hazlewood further reflected on the hard yards Starc has put in for maintaining his longevity, both from a mental and physical perspective.
"One of the things I admire is the work ethic. Everyone just sees you play the games and don’t see much else" said the 34-year-old Hazlewood.
“Being in his shoes as well, and being around it for so long, you see everything that goes into it. It’s the late night physio treatment sessions. It’s a pretty amazing achievement to play 100 Tests. It’ll be awesome to be part of it," he added.
Australia has already clinched the series by 2-0 against the West Indies, with the last match scheduled to be played at Sabina Park. The match will kick off on July 13.
(With IANS Inputs)
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