Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has explained why he pulled out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan and Dubai. He mentioned that an ankle injury was the main reason, but also said that “personal views” influenced his choice not to take part.
Mitchell Starc Explains Withdrawal from ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood are all missing from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Although Starc was originally included in the squad, he withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons. The 35-year-old bowler played in all seven Test matches over the summer, including five against India and two against Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, in an interview on the Willow Talk podcast, Mitchell Starc shared that he had been dealing with ankle pain throughout the Test series against Sri Lanka.
He mentioned that his main focus now is on recovering in time for the upcoming Test final and the West Indies tour. Starc expressed his desire to help Australia defend their World Test Championship (WTC) title.
Read More
“There are a few different reasons, some personal views. I had a bit of ankle pain through the Test series, so I just need to get that one right,” Starc said.
“Obviously we have the Test final coming up and a West Indies tour after that. There is some IPL cricket as well, but the main one at the top of my mind is the Test final … get my body right, play some cricket in the next couple of months and then ready to go for the Test final,” he added.
Mitchell Starc Discusses His Views On The Champions Trophy 2025
Mitchell Starc did not share his “personal views” about the Champions Trophy, where players are kept in hotels and are closely guarded with strict security. Starc has played through several injuries, including a side problem during the India Test series and a visible limp in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
The 35-year-old was the only specialist fast bowler in Sri Lanka, where Australia won the series 2-0. If he plays in the WTC final and all three Tests against the West Indies, Starc will reach his 100th Test cap in Jamaica this July. He also needs 18 more wickets to reach 400 wickets in Test cricket.
Starc admitted that he wasn’t impressed by the World Test Championship (WTC) during its first cycle. However, he mentioned that his view changed in the second cycle when Australia made it to the final and defeated India on neutral ground.
“The first one being a new concept, I remember definitely, I was like, what’s this all about? It doesn’t mean much,” Starc said. “We’re trying to win every Test match, every Test series. And then we got close to it and we missed out and watching it on the TV, we all wanted to be a part of it. So that quickly changed.”
“And then the second cycle, we made the final and obviously playing India on neutral territory, that was a big occasion for both teams, managed to get the chocolates that time. And now we find ourselves sitting [with] a chance to win it for the second time on the trot.”
ALSO READ: WPL 2025: RCBW vs GGW Match Head To Head And Fantasy 11 Prediction
