Mitchell Starc is eyeing a special record as he looks to break through in the top-10 of the most successful Test bowlers.
Starc currently has 433 Test scalps and the 36-year-old could easily surpass Kapil Dev (434) and South Africa quick Dale Steyn (439).
Australia play a two-match World Test Championship series against Bangladesh, beginning next week.
While Starc was thrilled to hear he could potentially overtake a pair of fast-bowling greats, the left-arm pacer suggested individual records weren’t his main focus as Australia look to claim a second WTC mace at The Oval next year.
“It means I’ve played a bit,” Starc told Australian Associated Press. “It is cool and very humbling to be spoken about it with those guys.
“But that stuff doesn’t mean a whole lot while you’re still playing. You don’t get too far ahead.”
Starc has shown no signs of slowing down of late as evidenced by the fact he is the leading wicket-taker across this WTC cycle with 46 scalps from eight matches and led both sides with 31 wickets during Australia’s recent Ashes triumph over England.
“When you’re 36 and you’ve been around for 16 years, you’d like to think you’ve improved or got better at something,” he said.
“You’re also around that long because you’re able to develop and learn and improve.
“And you add in a few things like the wobble seam, consistency and other things. I have a pretty clear mindset on it all.”
Neser ruled out
Pacer Michael Neser sustained a strain in his right calf muscle, which will prevent him from training or playing for several weeks.
Neser was training with the Australian squad in Brisbane this month as a standby fast bowler for the series against Bangladesh.
Australia, however, received encouraging news on Josh Inglis, who experienced back spasms during an intra-squad match at Allan Border Field earlier this week. Head coach Andrew McDonald said there was no concern over the wicketkeeper-batter’s availability for the Bangladesh series opener in Darwin.
“He’s had a back flare up. He has had these from time to time. There’ll be no issue, it’ll just be letting it settle down and then getting him back into work,” McDonald said.