Sydney

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has made it clear that retirement from Test cricket is not on his immediate radar, saying he remains motivated to continue contributing to the national side. The 35-year-old shared his views in an interview with SEN Cricket following Australia’s 4–1 Ashes series triumph over England.

Starc’s comments came after Australia secured a five-wicket win in the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday to clinch the five-match series. The left-arm pacer was the standout performer of the series, finishing as the leading wicket-taker and playing a pivotal role in Australia’s dominance over Ben Stokes’ England.

Across 10 innings, Starc claimed 31 wickets at an impressive average of 19.93, including two five-wicket hauls. He also made valuable contributions with the bat, scoring 156 runs and registering two half-centuries.

The senior seamer stepped up in the absence of regular pace spearheads Pat Cummins, who featured only in the Adelaide Test, and Josh Hazlewood, who missed the series due to injury.

Reflecting on his future after the Ashes success, Starc said he had not given retirement much thought and remains eager to keep pushing himself as long as he can make a meaningful impact. “I haven’t really thought about it yet. Pulling on the Baggy Green is motivation enough. As long as I feel I can play an important role in this group, I want to keep going and give everything I have for the team,” Starc told SEN Cricket.

He added that with no immediate T20 commitments, he plans to take time to recover physically and mentally before returning refreshed. “I’ll take a moment to reflect, rebuild the body a bit, and then go again,” he said.

Starc also said he plans to follow upcoming international action closely, including the Australia Women vs India Women series and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Addressing discussions around age in modern sport, he remarked that there should be no fixed timeline for players. “The game has changed, life has changed. If you’re still contributing and part of the best group, why put an age limit on anyone?” he added.

Australia’s victory in Sydney capped a dominant Ashes campaign under stand-in captain Steve Smith. The hosts won Tests in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, while England managed a consolation win in Melbourne before Australia sealed the series at the SCG.

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Brief Scores:
England: 384 and 342 (Joe Root 160, Jacob Bethell 154; Michael Neser 4/60, Mitchell Starc 3/72)
Australia: 567 and 161/5 (Travis Head 165, Steve Smith 138; Brydon Carse 3/108, Josh Tongue 3/42)