Starc’s availability depends on NOC from CA: Badani

Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani said on Monday that Mitchell Starc’s availability for the start of IPL-19 hinges on how soon Cricket Australia (CA) issues a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the left-arm pacer. The 36-year-old is the spearhead of DC’s bowling attack.

According to reports from Australia, Starc is unlikely to be available for the first few IPL games with CA understood to be monitoring the workloads of its premier pacers. Sunrisers Hyderabad confirmed last week that regular skipper Pat Cummins won’t be available for the beginning of the tournament. Josh Hazlewood, too, may not start the season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Starc hasn’t played any competitive cricket since January. After starring for Australia in the Ashes win, he played five T20 games for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.

“Once we get an NOC, we will know when Starc is joining us,” Badani said at a press conference here on Monday. “We are in constant touch with CA. He had a bowl a few days back. Unless CA signs off on him saying he is fit to play, there is very little a franchise can do.”

If Starc isn’t there at the outset of DC’s campaign, it compounds Axar Patel’s challenge in his second season as captain. While the 32-year-old Axar’s ability as an all-rounder in the T20 format is well-established — he has now been an integral part of two T20 World Cup-winning Indian teams — he is still growing into his role as captain.

“When you are in the leadership group, you start thinking about others as well. So, that is the change,” Axar observed. “I have become more involved with how to use others well. I try to keep myself in the front as a leader. I want to be there in the difficult situations, so that it becomes easy for the rest. That is what I have been trying to do over the past 10-12 months”.