Starc apologizes to Marsh after retirement announcement

Just ahead of the T20 World Cup, Australian star pacer Mitchell Starc’s retirement from international T20 cricket has struck like a bolt of lightning—shocking teammates and fans alike. The biggest surprise, however, came for current captain Mitchell Marsh, who admitted he had no prior knowledge of the decision.

With a busy Test calendar in the coming year and the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, Starc announced on Tuesday that he would step away from T20Is. In this format, the left-arm pacer has taken 79 wickets in 65 matches, the highest among Australian fast bowlers. Only leg-spinner Adam Zampa has more, with 130 wickets.

Although bidding farewell to T20 internationals, Starc intends to continue in Tests and ODIs. Yet his announcement left him in an awkward position, as even his skipper had not been informed. Marsh, in fact, learned of the news through social media.

“My phone call should probably have gone to Mitch (Marsh),” Starc admitted. “He messaged me saying he found out about my retirement on Instagram. I felt bad about that—I didn’t tell my captain. Sorry, Mitchy.”

Before going public, Starc had only shared his decision with coach Andrew McDonald and fellow pace partners Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. “I told them, didn’t ask for anything. I had a chat with Ronnie (McDonald), then mentioned it to those two (Cummins and Hazlewood) that I was retiring. That’s pretty much how it went,” Starc explained.

With this, Australia lose one of their most successful fast bowlers in the shortest format on the eve of the World Cup—while captain Mitchell Marsh is left with an unexpected jolt.