Mitchell Starc is building a body of work that may soon see him as Australia’s best one-day bowler of all-time.
He is also on a trajectory that will see him mentioned in the same breath as the best from any nation.
His form at this World Cup has him in the frame for Player of the Tournament honours.
With a last preliminary game against South Africa, a guaranteed semi-final appearance and the possibility of a final, he will surely rewrite the World Cup record books.
This, on the back of being awarded Player of the Tournament four years ago.
How do Australia knock off England? (Photo by Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto)
In the 2015 addition, jointly held in Australia and New Zealand, Starc cut a swathe through the opposition to finish with 22 wickets at 10.2, tying him at the top of the wicket aggregate with Kiwi Trent Boult.
His stunning 6-28 in Auckland against the Black Caps was the highlight with the hosts nine down when they reached the victory target of just 152.
His 2-20 off eight overs against the same opponent in the final at the MCG concluded an outstanding tournament.
Move forward four years and it is a case of Groundhog Day.
Starc currently heads up the wicket aggregate with 24 scalps at 15.5 through eight games.
Next best is Kiwi quick, Lockie Ferguson who has produced 17 wickets in his seven matches.
Starc has claimed a wicket every 18 deliveries.
Two more victims will see him equal Glenn McGrath’s 2007 record of 26 wickets at a single World Cup, which he achieved in a dozen matches.
No player has ever topped the wicket aggregate at a World Cup twice.
At this stage, Starc appears odds-on to achieve that feat.
He has already claimed two five-wicket hauls this time around – against West Indies and New Zealand – to make him the first man to register three five-fors in World Cups.
For good measure, he also has three four-wicket hauls to his credit.
Thus far, across two outings in the sport’s premier white ball tournament he has 46 wickets at the phenomenal average of 13.0 and with a strike rate of just 18 – all from just 16 matches.
That places him sixth all-time on the wicket-taking list.
McGrath is at the top of the tree with 71 wickets from 39 appearances.
If Starc maintains his current strike rate for the remainder of this tournament, and at 29 years of age, he will be well positioned to surpass McGrath’s record with another solid performance in India in 2023.
While Starc was rightly ranked number one in the world around the period of the last World Cup heading into this year’s addition he looked well short of those lofty heights.
Injuries restricted him to just seven appearances in 2018 during which he claimed 11 wickets at 37.4 on the back of a strike rate of 36.5.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
The lethal swing – at both ends of the innings – which had been the hallmark to his success was absent.
He started this year with three matches at home against South Africa in which he claimed just four wickets at 38.8.
In essence, few could have foreseen the destruction he has wreaked during this tournament.
The swing is back and allied to his famed yorker he has quite literally proved unplayable at times.
England’s Ben Stokes can certainly lay testament to that having been shot out by one of the deliveries of the tournament at Lord’s.
It has not been just his yorker that has had batsmen on the hop.
His high octane short deliveries have the venom of old.
England skipper, Eoin Morgan was clearly unsettled by Starc’s well focused bouncers.
At his best, Starc is Australia’s talisman.
When on-song his bowling makes him a one-man weapon of mass destruction.
His value at this tournament to skipper, Aaron Finch is best summed up by looking at the spread of his wickets throughout the matches played to date.
Of his 24 wickets, he has dismissed the openers five times, numbers eight to ten in the order three times each and numbers three to seven twice each.
Whether it has been his opening or closing spells, or those wedged in the middle, he has provided Finch with regular breakthroughs.
It is a luxury that few captains have possessed.
Starc has played 83 games although it feels he has donned the coloured uniform far more often which is testament to his destructive nature.
The Australian cricket team. (AAP Image/David Mariuz)
His career record stacks up well when compared with the all-time great one-day exponents.
To date, he has captured 169 wickets at 20.6 with a strike rate of 24.8.
McGrath is the most prolific Australian, having taken 380 wickets at 22.0
His strike rate however is 34.0.
Brett Lee is second on the list with 380 wickets at 23.4 and a strike rate of 29.4.
Lee has also claimed the most five-wicket hauls by an Australian – nine in 221 matches.
McGrath and Starc are equal second with seven.
McGrath achieved his across 249 games while Starc has done so in a mere 83.
Globally, of the 74 bowlers to have claimed 150 or more wickets Starc has both the best average and strike rate.
Whilst others can claim greater longevity, Starc is well on the way to sitting alongside the very cream of the crop in the coming years.
In fact, he deserves to be in the discussion now.
Asthon
Roar Rookie
overreaction much? Starc is good but is he THAT good?
JamesH
Roar Guru
Hard to say. His economy rate would still have been higher than McGrath's, for sure, given that they are different kinds of bowlers. Strike rate still would have been lower, though. Allan Donald's economy rate was 4.15 and Brett Lee's was 4.76. I'd guess maybe somewhere in the middle - 4.4ish?
Magic
Guest
Yeah, agree that economy rate have also gone up absolutely agree and now am satisfied on behalf of your last line on McGrath, and that is my point also but "McGrath still would be a legendary bowler in this era where bowlers have nothing to support them against the batsman but would Starc have been as effective as McGrath in that era with eco rate 3.88?" My answer is nah!
JamesH
Roar Guru
You just made my argument for me. Yes, those guys would have had lower strike rates in previous eras. Strike rates have gone up. By the same logic, bowlers' economy rates have also gone up. That's the whole point. McGrath's famous line and length would have been hit for more runs now than it was back then. Again, not a suggestion that a modern McGrath wouldn't still be an all-time ODI great.
Magic
Guest
Huu so, guys you mentioned like Carey Stoinis and Marsh would have had the strike rate respectively 70, 73, and 75 around in that era still less than Jayasurya 91 because of as you mentioned longer boundaries, one bowl, bowling friendly wickets and the guys like Butler Roy Maxwell hetmyer would have had the average respectively 29, 27, 22 against the McGrath because they all are wonderful if there is no swing hitting through the line but if bowl variate a millimetre they are hopeless look at roy so, I still think irrelevant reason to argue
shifty
Roar Rookie
It was there for the taking from anyone who grew up with the 12th man lol.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Of course it's not irrelevant. The conditions McGrath played in back then were not the same as they are now. The bats weren't as powerful, most batsmen didn't have the same range of shots, strike rates were lower and, on average, pitches weren't as flat. They also only used one ball per innings, which meant it was softer at the death and there was more opportunity for reverse swing. Deliveries that would have been blocked back then are attacked now. The guys you mentioned, Gibbs, Klusener and Jayasuriya, had career strike rates of 83, 90 and 91 respectively. They were considered fast for their time but even Jayasuriya was still statistically slower than current players like Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis and Mitch Marsh. The sorts of numbers put up by the likes of Buttler, Maxwell, Heymeyer and Roy were almost unheard of for the bulk of McGrath's career. McGrath still would have been a legendary bowler, no doubt. I'm not silly enough to suggest otherwise. But it's inconceivable that he could have maintained the same sort of economy rate in the modern era. There is only one current ODI bowler with a career economy rate under 4rpo and that's Afghanistan's Mujeeb, who, in 36 matches, has played India twice, Australia and England once each and NZ and SA a grant total of zero times. On the flipside, McGrath's strike rate probably would have been better in the modern era, with batsmen prone to taking more risks against good bowling. Swings and roundabouts.
Paul
Roar Guru
you need the floppy hair, the big grin and the silly run to make it work deano, that's where Zampa has it all over these other guys.
Magic
Guest
What are you saying, "McGrath metronimic line and length would not be as effective in this era" strongly disagree, because McGrath was a legendary bowler and one more things there were lots of batsman who could have been blast the bowl out of the park like as Lance klusener Harshal Gibbs Sanath Jayasurya and many more so, this is irrelevant reason to argue because Starc would have been thrashed all around the park so, in my opinion McGrath "one time in generation"bowler and about Starc yes undoubtedly he is wonderful bowler but not in the same league as Macgrath because of matchless reliability to make the apposition scared that you can't make even 150 if McGrath operating from the end
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
Much like Cummins is doing these days. One of these days Pat will take a bag full. He bowls too well too consistently for it to not happen.
Neel
Roar Guru
I think he is already one of Australia’s greatest ODI fast bowlers ever. Well, certainly in World Cups. Whether he will be Australia’s greatest ever is a different aspect altogether. That will be debatable as indicated by the previous comments in the comment section of this article.
Lawrence
Roar Rookie
Apart from McGrath's consistent line and length, he had an excellent bouncer, good yorker and could reverse swing the old ball. A very skilful bowler, he would have adapted.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
fair call
deano
Roar Rookie
great contest, but mitch marsh is all time best drink carrier for mine.
deano
Roar Rookie
good comment jeff. sadly, when i submit something, it takes 3 or 4 days to get a reply and by then, the topic has moved on or passed.
Peter Warrington
Guest
Mick Malone
The Bush
Roar Guru
And it’s an incorrect perception (as per my list above).
The Bush
Roar Guru
Except Fox made the statement in regards to “red ball” cricket. Anywho, your stats are indeed correct. Be interesting to know if teams bat out their innings less or more often these days.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
I thought that the umpires and opposition let McGrath get away with way too much sledging and intimidation but there is no denying he was a bit of a phenomenon. I don't remember him being bashed in ODI. Just amazingly accurate, with a hint of nibble whenever he felt like it. Confident, cunning and downright mean. Even later on Kevie Peitersen thought he'd charge him. McGrath responded by breaking his ribs, proving that mid easily 130s is fast enough for gun batsmen. Meanwhile we scoff at medium fast from the safety of The Roar.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Whereas in ODIs, Starcs' 27.2% of 8-jack being significantly higher than Warnes 20.5%. Ditto Starcs' ODI RPO of 4.96 being well above Warnes 4.25.