Starc urges lively Ashes pitches to counter England's Bazball

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has urged the curators to prepare spicy tracks for the upcoming five-match Ashes series against England.

The first Ashes Test will commence on 21 November at the Perth Stadium.

At the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Starc expressed his hope that the curators would prepare the wickets according to their preferences, instead of opting for a five-day match.

“I hope the groundsmen stick to their guns and prepare the wickets they want. If we are worried about five days of revenue then there’s bigger problems at hand,” he said.

The left-arm pacer also admitted that he has a problem with his bowling and is still searching for his rhythm.

“It has been a while (since I played first-class cricket), probably too long if I had my time again,” Starc said. “But that’s fine, it was alright, working on a few things, getting that rhythm back.”

He said that he was not bowling at his best during ODIs against India, however, he is now very close to gaining full momentum.

“That was probably my longest layoff injury-free for a long time. I was just trying to find that rhythm through the ODIs (against India). It just felt like something wasn’t quite clicking there, and it felt pretty close today, so I’m reasonably happy,” Starch said.

“I think the break was a good thing, but I just tend to be someone who continuous bowling keeps in rhythm. I’ve just been speaking to (head coach) Ronnie (Andrew McDonald) then, I think I’ve sorted it out and now it’s just getting the engine going again,” he concluded.

The 35-year-old took a four-wicket haul in the ongoing Sheffield Shield match against Victoria. He returned with the figures of 4/91 in 18 overs.