Mitchell Starc Retires from T20 Internationals to Focus on Tests

Australia's frontline left arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc announced on Tuesday that he has retired from Twenty20 internationals, a decision that comes roughly six months before the ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka and signals a shift in focus toward Test and one day international cricket. The 35 year old said he was stepping away from the shortest format to preserve his body and concentrate on major upcoming milestones including an away Test tour of India, the Ashes and the 2027 ODI World Cup.

"Test cricket is and has always been my highest priority," Starc said in a Cricket Australia statement, adding that leaving T20 internationals would help him remain "fresh, fit and at my best" for those campaigns and give the bowling group time to prepare for next year's T20 tournament. He told Cricket.com.au he wanted to "milk" his body for as much Test cricket as possible and had weighed carefully which format to step back from.

Starc retires from T20Is after a 13 year international T20 career that began in 2012. He finished with 79 wickets in 65 matches, placing him second on Australia's all time T20I wicket list behind Adam Zampa, with an economy rate of about 7.74 and a strike...