ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

October 31, 2022

Mitchell Starc

The Gabba

Australia

Post Match Media Conference

Australia 179/5, Ireland 137

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to Australia's post-match press conference, and we have Australian bowler Mitchell Starc. We'll go to questions from the floor.

Q. Mitch, obviously, a win that kept your World Cup hopes alive, but do you feel like there was a bit of a missed chance to maybe get your net run rate up a little higher there?

MITCHELL STARC: Yeah, I guess you could look at that. I mean, first and foremost, we need to win these games, so we tick that box.

I think we bowled quite well, and generally here at the Gabba in night games when it gets dry, it's generally a good chasing wicket. I mean, our power play was excellent, and we certainly put him on the back foot. I think they tried to stay aggressive and we batted quite well throughout the innings.

What, we drag it back 1.2 or something like that. I mean, we'll wait and see what the result is tomorrow and then we could be not having to worry about talking about net run rate.

So, yeah, we certainly tick that box today and won the game, and we move on to Adelaide now.

Q. You finished up with three subfielders and a subcaptain, I suppose you would say. How much did that kind of changed the back end of that innings, and what do you kind of know about each of those three guys' injuries?

MITCHELL STARC: Not much. There's a bit of soreness around. I'm not sure. I guess we'll hear from the physios and medical guys tomorrow.

They're in good spirits. I don't know what is the extent or where everyone's place is. They're off the field, so there's something going on there.

Q. Just in terms of how that back end of Ireland's run chase went, you've got a new captain on and different fielders and stuff. Was that sort of jarring at all?

MITCHELL STARC: It was obviously different. I mean, better to experience it now than sort of in the finals.

Yeah, it was still I guess a little bit frantic, while they were still striking the ball quite nicely. Probably changed a bit with obviously having Aaron off the field is probably what he was planning to do, and I'm not part of the messages or the conversations coming on and off the field. I couldn't tell you how that affected the guys who sort of ran the show there.

But, no, we came out with a nice win. Plenty of positives. We'll regroup and see where we place when we get to Adelaide.

Q. Mitch, obviously the first over you bowled double wicket made and got the ball swinging. That's pretty much your over off the drawing board. The gap between that and the other three overs, talk us through how good that one felt and the other three.

MITCHELL STARC: Yeah. He played quite well. Made the use of the short boundary straight. Struck it quite nice. He moved around the crease a bit and kept coming at us. He is someone that plays that lap.

Really didn't get it in the right area enough to him. We also dropped him on about 30, so not sure if it is a drop if you don't get a hand on it.

No, look, it's T20 cricket, isn't it? We'll take that catch, and we could be sitting here talking about how we snuck back in the net run rate or whatever, but that's the nature of T20 cricket. It's pretty frantic, and some go your way and some you don't.

Q. Just the fact that, well, Pat got Balbirnie to swing a little bit, and when you came on, it was still swinging. Was there a difference from some of the other players and other nights that you might have the ball where it only swings for the first over?

MITCHELL STARC: You have to make the most of it when it's there. Certainly that was a good power play. We haven't fought in the power play, which you jump at that if anyone offered that to you.

Yeah, that's a big positive. Obviously a bit of movement in the air, which is generally the case here at the Gabba. It's a bit of humidity around. It's obviously been a bit warmer and a fraction dryer than Melbourne and potentially Sydney.

We'll see what conditions present us in Adelaide. Obviously another night game there, and we'll see if there's any swing at training, and hopefully there is for us bowlers against Afghanistan.

Q. I suppose we're more used to hearing about the management and potential injuries with the quick bowlers. You guys all okay?

MITCHELL STARC: We'll be taking our tea time tomorrow (laughing).

Q. Aaron has been speaking about your different role this World Cup than usual where you are bowling three in the middle and one at the end. Has it taken a while for you to just get used to it, and how does that work out for you?

MITCHELL STARC: It's obviously something new. Yeah, I generally obviously take the first over and see if it's swinging.

Tonight it did. It generally doesn't outside of the first two overs of the power play if it does swing.

Yeah, it's a new role. It's obviously something that began in that game against England in Canberra, and it's sort of a role that Finchy and Ronnie want me to play through the middle there with Zampa.

Obviously, we've got Josh and Pat who were fantastic across formats with the new ball as well. I think that's a positive that we've got plenty of options that it may not be my only role, it may not be Josh and Pat's only role. We could change, as I said before, with different conditions, different opponents, whatever the matchups may be.

So, yeah, that seems to be my role at the moment, and I'll just keep developing that and hopefully keep playing that role throughout the tournament.

Q. In that role are you bowling different lanes? Are you doing anything drastically different at all?

MITCHELL STARC: Yeah, it's probably had to change a little bit. Particularly in the power play. I'm obviously someone who bowls a bit fuller than Pat and Josh. That's probably a result of looking for that swing in the first over or two.

With the ball probably not swinging at the back end of a power play, that obviously is going to have to adjust with conditions here at the Gabba. Obviously somewhere where there's a little bit more bounce and pace. Likewise with Optus.

Generally a pretty good wicket in Adelaide, where as somewhere like an SCG that is not quite that same length. Yeah, again, it will change with different conditions, different opponents.

Then obviously the back end, all through the middle and the back... through the middle has probably been more of the role is still trying to be aggressive and take wickets. At the back end it's whether we're defending or being trying to close out a game.

Q. Do you think you would prefer to bowl at the top of the order if you have a chance in the big games at the end of the tournament, if indeed you do make it? That sort of early order sort of hitman role where you have built up a bit of a reputation over the years.

MITCHELL STARC: I don't think that the role changes in terms have trying to take wickets. It's probably through a different sequencing of how the matchups are seen through the power play and through the middle.

The lengths probably have to change, and it's probably not going to swing outside those couple of overs. I still feel like the role is to take wickets. Just at different times and through different partnerships with different matchups, I guess.

Q. What was the lessons? You talked about lengths and you also mentioned the New Zealand game first up for you guys. What were the kind of lessons that you had out of that, Mitch, and is any of this stuff you are talking about related to what Finn Allen did?

MITCHELL STARC: Yeah, it's probably SCG is just slower. A deader, slower wicket. It's probably somewhere where you probably are bowling more variations, and I think the Kiwis obviously did that. When they bowled after us, they probably assessed those conditions through the first inning as well and adjusted. Look, Finn brought the game to us and struck it quite nicely. You can't take that away from him. He came out and took the game on and came off.

So, yeah, obviously there's a semifinal there, so if we were to get through and that's where we do play a semifinal, there's lessons to be learned from that first fixture. It's New Zealand or us in the draw, so if we both get through, we wouldn't play them until the final. Again, another different wicket where Melbourne, the last months, has been a bit nippy and good for bowlers.

Yeah, let's just get through Adelaide and hopefully through the finals and then we'll assess it where we sit in terms of whether there is an SCG game, and then we'll learn from that first fixture.

Q. You might know more after the England-New Zealand game tomorrow. Are you going to be watching it?

MITCHELL STARC: It's a travel day for us. I think we fly in the afternoon, so we might be on a plane while it's happening, which is generally the case, as all the times are finding out with flights.

Yeah, I'm sure there will be a few keen eyes on that. Look, we'll see where it plays tomorrow night. It could be another, I guess, more from you guys discussing it, run rate.

For us it's just trying to win these games, first and foremost, because if you don't win, it doesn't matter, does it? Yeah, a tick of the box today. We brought that run rate back a bit, and we'll see how we place in 24 hours.