Aust can play three lefties at WC15: Starc

Mitchell Starc insists there’s room for three left-arm quicks in Australia’s World Cup squad.

Starc, Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner are all vying for spots in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand starting in three months.

Johnson was the only one of the trio selected for the first two one-day internationals against South Africa, though the other two are tipped to get a run later in the five-game series.

With captain Michael Clarke believed to be wanting to take what amounts to his World Cup squad into the tri-series against England and India in January, the matches against South Africa loom as the final auditions.

“It’s about performing, no matter where you are, playing Shield cricket, one-day cricket, it’s about taking wickets and making sure you’re ready to go,” Starc said.

Asked if there was room for all three left-armers in the World Cup squad, Starc said: “I don’t see why not.

“You pick three right-armers all the time. Why not left-armers? It’s something different.

“It’s about picking the guys that are right for that team at any given time and making sure that the guys that are on the fringe, or not there, are performing and keeping fit and making sure they are ready to go if called upon.”

Starc noted all the pace bowlers, left and right-armed, had different attributes.

“Mitch (Johnson) bowls 150 (kms) consistently and a lot of batsman probably fear him around the world,” Starc said.

“You’ve got Peter Siddle, who is probably the more consistent bowler, who probably puts it on the spot and ties the batsman down.

“You’ve got guys like Ryan Harris coming back, who is a right-arm spearhead.

“James Faulkner is probably aligned to consolidating one end.

“I’d like to think I’m a wicket-taker and a pretty aggressive bowler.

“Gee, I think we’re all different in our ways, but it’s all about working in partnerships with the guy at the other end, whether it be another left-armer, a right-armer or a spinner.”

Starc got plenty of overs under his belt in his two most recent first-class assignments.

He notched up almost 39 overs in the heat of Abu Dhabi in the second Test against Pakistan.

Starc tallied another 41.3 overs for NSW less than a week later in a Sheffield Shield day-night game in Adelaide, where he claimed seven wickets, including Phil Hughes twice.

“It was good to get those overs in the legs and get that prolonged bowl that we’ve been needing for a while,” Starc said.

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