Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is eyeing to become the third Aussie, behind Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, to cross the 100mph mark once Australia resumes their cricketing activity.
Starc has capitalised the forced lockdown to build muscles and gain weights that will help him in increasing speed and decreasing the risk of injury.
“It would be nice but at the same time the two occasions I’ve been up around that (160 kph) mark I’ve snapped my foot,” Starc said as quoted by AFP.
“Hopefully that’s not the case but when everything’s going well, that rhythm is happening and conditions suit, then I can get that speed gun up. Perhaps that extra time in the gym and extra time off I might be able to push the limits again.”
The 30-years-old added that he spent considerable time in the gym during the global pandemic and a long hiatus from cricket has given him and other bowlers a much-needed respite after 11 months of hectic tour.
“It’s been a good amount of time in the gym and now I’m back bowling and running and have enjoyed the time at home to be able to do that and rest the aches and pains of bowling through an 11-month tour like the other boys have as well.”
Starc further revealed that the slight adjustments which he made in his bowling action allowed him to retain his pace without being too expensive.
“At the start of the [2019-’20] summer and after that UK tour, I very much got in that line and length consistency mindset that the whole [fast bowling] group were about through the Ashes,” he said.
“That’s not to say that’s not important, but I think I’ve found a happy medium with this little tweak to still have that better consistency but still have my pace.”
“I still want to bowl fast and I’m not going to compromise that, but I had to find a way that I wasn’t expensive at the same time and I think that little tweak in the action has helped that,” Starc concluded.
