Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc is an Australian left-arm fast bowler celebrated for his pace and swing, and has been a leading wicket-taker across three ICC World Cup-winning campaigns.

Mitchell Aaron Starc was born on 30 January 1990 in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia, and made his international debut for Australia in 2010, though his early career was disrupted by persistent injuries before he established himself as a frontline fast bowler. Starc developed into one of the most explosive left-arm fast bowlers in the modern game, renowned for a searing yorker and the ability to swing the new ball at high pace, becoming Australia's fourth-highest wicket-taker in both Test and ODI cricket. Starc was named Player of the Tournament at the 2015 Cricket World Cup, taking 22 wickets on home soil, and became the first bowler in history to take a hat-trick in each innings of the same Sheffield Shield match, achieved playing for New South Wales in 2017. Starc has continued to represent Australia across formats, and is married to former Australian women's captain Alyssa Healy, forming one of cricket's most celebrated couples, while also playing extensively in the Indian Premier League for franchises including Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals.

Starc bowls left-arm fast with the ability to generate significant pace, regularly exceeding 150 km/h. His greatest strength is his ability to swing the ball both ways at high speed, particularly effective with the new ball and in death overs. He possesses a natural outswinger to right-handed batsmen and can reverse the ball back in, making him dangerous throughout an innings.

Starc revolutionized fast bowling by combining extreme pace with consistent swing bowling, proving that speed and movement could be effectively paired. His success in limited-overs cricket helped redefine the role of express pace bowlers in modern cricket.

• World Cup winner 2015, 2023
• multiple World Cup Golden Ball awards