Mitchell Starc vs Brett Lee (red-ball tests)

[Rob Wesley]

No it isn't. Failing like that at home is flat out unacceptable. It's your bread and butter; you might not be suited to certain conditions overseas and that's fine, that's a selection question, but if you can't be trusted in big home series against strong opposition then that calls into question your fundamental value proposition as a strike fast bowler in Australia. That's why you exist.

Buddy then I don’t see why we should exclude pink ball tests. Starc pretty much sets up win for Australia at home in pink ball tests every time so he gives you that one win too. Yes, he has not been that great at home compared to Hazelwood and Starc but he has been better in certain conditions and is more durable too, hardly skipping series anywhere. That’s valuable for me.

If you don’t mind a Hazelwood or Cummins skipping an Asia tour, let’s not mind Starc skipping( or if selectors picks him then failing) in a home series too. Atleast he will win you a pink ball test, rest him for a couple of test in that series.

 

[Johan]

Buddy then I don’t see why we should exclude pink ball tests. Starc pretty much sets up win for Australia at home in pink ball tests every time so he gives you that one win too. Yes, he has not been that great at home compared to Hazelwood and Starc but he has been better in certain conditions and is more durable too, hardly skipping series anywhere. That’s valuable for me.

Nobody is asking you to ignore them in a general comparision lol.

 

[Spark]

Buddy then I don’t see why we should exclude pink ball tests. Starc pretty much sets up win for Australia at home in pink ball tests every time so he gives you that one win too. Yes, he has not been that great at home compared to Hazelwood and Starc but he has been better in certain conditions and is more durable too, hardly skipping series anywhere. That’s valuable for me.

If you don’t mind a Hazelwood or Cummins skipping an Asia tour, let’s not mind Starc skipping( or if selectors picks him then failing) in a home series too. Atleast he will win you a pink ball test, rest him for a couple of test in that series.

We're comparing Starc to Lee in this thread, that's why red ball cricket has been specified. If we were making comparisons to Hazlewood and Cummins then yes obviously pink ball cricket should be included, but Lee played 0 pink ball Tests so it's clearly an attempt to make a like for like comparisons.

Cummins hasn't "skipped" Asia Tests because they're in Asia, he's skipping this tour because he's on paternity leave and I sure hope as hell you know why he missed the last few Tests of the India series because saying he just cbf would be a pretty ****ed thing to say.

I can't even begin to make sense of that last sentence. Starc skipping... home Tests? Why should he be picked at all in that case? If, as you're suggesting, he's not good enough to be picked for home Tests outside specific conditions then that doesn't exactly speak to his qualities as a Test bowler!

 

[Rob Wesley]

We're comparing Starc to Lee in this thread, that's why red ball cricket has been specified. If we were making comparisons to Hazlewood and Cummins then yes obviously pink ball cricket should be included, but Lee played 0 pink ball Tests so it's clearly an attempt to make a like for like comparisons.

Cummins hasn't "skipped" Asia Tests because they're in Asia, he's skipping this tour because he's on paternity leave and I sure hope as hell you know why he missed the last few Tests of the India series because saying he just cbf would be a pretty ****ed thing to say.

I can't even begin to make sense of that last sentence. Starc skipping... home Tests? Why should he be picked at all in that case? If, as you're suggesting, he's not good enough to be picked for home Tests outside specific conditions then that doesn't exactly speak to his qualities as a Test bowler!

Starc is picked for home tests because he has been doing it for Australia for more than 10 years and is still more durable and less injury prone than say, Hazelwood. Who would you have played in that series for final two tests? Starc played first three tests, won the pink ball one for his team and brought them in the series. Who are the remaining options? Hazelwood was injured. Only Cummins and Boland left. Nesser is hardly any good.

In a 5 match test series, it is tough for a bowler to produce his best throughout the series. He needs a bit of rest especially old legs and Starc didn’t got that in BG series due to injuries of Hazelwood. Starc was poor in 2020-21 series but that’s the only one. He has been doing a good job for Australia for a long time and is way ahead of Lee who was an absolute failure in Asia with an average of 60 and failed vs arch rivals England in Ashes too.

 

[Spark]

Who would you have played in that series for final two tests?

Well I openly wanted him rested in that final Test so not Starc is my answer. The fact that he can't go through a full four or five Test series without his output dropping off a cliff is the main reason why this critique has such weight. He absolutely should have been dropped for the last games in the last home BGT and certainly the last Ashes Test for Neser, people here were begging for that to happen.

 

[govinda indian fan]

Binga bowled on much flatter pitches and against atg bats. Starc is hot and cold