Mitchell Starc gave cricket fans a brief retirement scare before turning the moment into a joke during a recent appearance at “Keepin’ It Cricket” podcast. The Australia fast bowler was discussing his workload and Test plans when he casually suggested that he could “ride off into the sunset” after completing the next 19 Tests.

The comment immediately caught the attention of his wife and former Australia captain Alyssa Healy, who was also part of the podcast.

Mitchell Starc’s ’19 Tests’ retirement joke

The retirement talk emerged while Starc was explaining his plans for the next 18 months. The left-arm quick is targeting 21 Tests during that period and had already played two, leaving 19 matches in the planned schedule.

It prompted Starc to deliver his tongue-in-cheek remark about potentially calling time on his career after completing the remaining Tests.

“Yeah, 19 to go, then I can ride off in the sunset, I don’t know,” Starc said. “But, uh, I don’t think I’ll be first to go of the boys. Um, yeah. Going right.”

The comment was clearly delivered with humour, but it was enough to make Healy react immediately. Her surprised response, followed by laughter, made the exchange even more memorable.

Starc then quickly clarified that he was not suggesting that retirement was around the corner.

Starc clarifies he is not retiring yet

After his joke created the impression that he might have revealed a future retirement date, Starc explained that he still expects to play plenty of cricket.

The Australian fast bowler said he had “plenty more” cricket left and added that he did not expect to be the first among his teammates to walk away.

“No, it’s no, I’ve got plenty more than that. I don’t think I’ll be first to go,” he added.

“Yeah, going alright, going well, I have bowled with Pat this morning and then get one more bowl in before I get on the plane over to South Africa and then meet the boys over there. So, yeah, it’s excellent.”

His comments came while he was preparing for Australia’s upcoming tour of South Africa. Starc revealed that he had already bowled alongside captain Pat Cummins and planned another bowling session before travelling to join the squad.

Why Mitchell Starc is prioritising Test cricket?

The conversation also provided insight into how Starc is managing his workload at this stage of his career.

The 36-year-old has played international cricket across three formats for many years and acknowledged that maintaining that schedule had become increasingly difficult. He explained that Test cricket remained a priority, while he had to make decisions about how to manage his commitments in the other formats.

Starc has already stepped away from T20 internationals, allowing him to concentrate more heavily on Test cricket and the ODI format.

His decision-making is also linked to Australia’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which remains an important target for the veteran fast bowler.

Also READ: Top 5 highest individual scores in South Africa vs Australia ODI series ft. Quinton de Kock

Starc preparing for South Africa tour

Far from sounding like a player ready to retire, Starc was focused on preparation for Australia’s South Africa assignment.

He spoke positively about his bowling workload and confirmed that he had already completed a session with Cummins before planning another workout prior to his flight.

The upcoming tour will give Starc another opportunity to continue building towards Australia’s busy international schedule.

For now, he remains focused on Test cricket, the 2027 ODI World Cup and managing his workload rather than announcing an international farewell.

Also READ: Top 5 best bowling figures in South Africa vs Australia ODI series ft. Cooper Connolly

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