Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) speedster Mitchell Starc likes to lead the bowling attack in his own way. He proved yet again that he is one of the best in business, with his performance against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai on Monday.
Starc was unavailable for the first few matches of this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a knee niggle. In his absence, the RCB bowling attack was getting hammered and most of the bowlers were proving to be expensive.
But after Starc returned to join the men in red, the look of the entire bowling attack has changed. They now look far more dangerous than before, with Mitchell Starc bowling with fierce pace and swinging upfront with the new ball as well as in the death overs.
"I like to try and lead the attack in my own way. It is quite a young bowling unit. I worked with Allan Donald in the team last season and this year we have pretty much the same attack, plus one or two fast bowlers. We try to work together and talk about our plans before each game. I try to bring in some of my experience and lead the boys along the way," said Starc in an interview to the official webiste of the IPL.
"It is very different to the role I play with Australia. I relish the leadership role and I am trying to grow in it.
"Off the field I try to share whatever I know with these boys, and on it I mostly bowl upfront and set the pace for our bowling before coming in the end to finish things off. Here it is very important that I am absolutely confident about my plans and also create that confidence around the group," said Starc.
Surprisingly, Starc did not face any difficulty in adjusting to Indian conditions and pitches after the World Cup. The form that he has brought to this tournament from the World Cup has apparently helped him a lot.
"It is Twenty20 cricket and in this format you cannot over-think. I try to keep my plans simple because you don't need to complicate things when you have only got 24 balls to bowl. I try to make the minor adjustments, if need be on the day, but overall I try to keep it the same and execute those 24 balls," Starc said.
