Mitchell Aaron Starc (born 30 January 1990) is an Australian international cricketer who plays for the Australian national team and New South Wales in domestic cricket. Considered one of the finest fast bowlers of all time in limited overs cricket, Starc represents Australia in all three main formats of international cricket: Test cricket, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals.
Starc was born in Baulkham Hills, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is the youngest of three children born to Paul and Kim Starc. His father is a former cricketer who played for the New South Wales Second XI.
Starc began playing cricket at a young age, initially as a wicket-keeper. However, he was soon identified as a talented bowler and switched his focus to fast bowling. He played junior cricket for the Western Suburbs Cricket Club in Sydney.
In 2007, Starc was selected for the New South Wales under-17 team. He made his first-class debut for New South Wales in the 2008-09 season, at the age of 18.
Starc made his international debut for Australia in an ODI against India in October 2010. He took his first international wicket in that match, dismissing Virat Kohli.
Starc made his Test debut for Australia against New Zealand in December 2011. He took his first Test wicket in that match, dismissing Ross Taylor.
Starc has been a key member of the Australian ODI team since his debut. He is the fastest bowler in the history of ODI cricket to reach 200 wickets, taking 102 matches to reach the milestone.
Starc was the Player of the Tournament in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, where he took 22 wickets at an average of 10.18. He was also a member of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.
Starc has also been a key member of the Australian T20I team. He is the third-highest wicket-taker in the history of T20I cricket, with 118 wickets.
Starc was a member of the Australian team that won the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup.
Starc has been a regular member of the Australian Test team since his debut. He has taken over 300 Test wickets, at an average of 26.63.
Starc is the second-fastest bowler in the history of Test cricket to reach 300 wickets, taking 62 matches to reach the milestone.
Starc holds a number of records in international cricket, including:
Starc has won a number of awards and honors for his cricketing achievements, including:
Starc has captained Australia in two ODI matches, both in 2017. He also captained the Australian T20I team in one match in 2018.
Starc has been involved in a few controversies during his career. In 2015, he was fined for showing dissent towards an umpire during an ODI match against England. In 2018, he was fined for making an obscene gesture during a Test match against India.
Starc is married to Australian cricketer Alyssa Healy. The couple have one daughter, Willow.
Starc is a keen golfer and fisherman. He is also a vocal advocate for mental health awareness.