Mitchell Aaron Starc (born 30 January 1990) is an Australian international cricketer who represents the Australian national team and plays domestic cricket for New South Wales. A left-arm fast bowler and a lower-order left-handed batsman, Starc is among the leading wicket-takers in Australian cricket history and is regarded as one of the foremost limited-overs bowlers of his generation.
| Full name | Mitchell Aaron Starc |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 January 1990 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Role | Left-arm fast bowler; lower-order left-handed batsman |
| Domestic team | New South Wales |
| International debut | 2010 |
| Notable honour | Player of the Tournament, 2015 Cricket World Cup |
Starc emerged through Australian domestic cricket with New South Wales before progressing to the international set-up. He is known for bowling at high pace, with his fastest recorded delivery measured at over 160.4 km/h, the fastest ever recorded in a Test match. He is also recognised for his ability to generate reverse swing.
Starc began playing international cricket in 2010. The early part of his career was disrupted by persistent injuries, which affected his availability across formats. He gradually established himself as a frontline bowler in all three forms of the game.
Starc came to worldwide attention as a prominent member of the Australian squad that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup. His consistent performances throughout the tournament earned him the Player of the Tournament award, and he finished as the leading wicket-taker of that edition.
At the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Starc took 27 wickets, an all-time record for the most wickets taken in a single edition of the tournament. He thereby became the leading wicket-taker in successive Cricket World Cup tournaments, having achieved the feat earlier in 2015.
Starc was a key member of the Australian team that won the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final. He was also part of the squad that won the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. He is one of five players to have won an ICC trophy in all three formats of the game.
Starc's combination of left-arm pace, swing, and consistency in major tournaments has made him one of the most influential bowlers in modern limited-overs cricket. His World Cup record, particularly across the 2015 and 2019 editions, has set benchmarks for fast bowlers in ICC events, while his role across the 2021 T20 World Cup, 2023 World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup underlines his impact across formats.