February 27, Melbourne [Australia]: Mitchell Starc, a left-arm bowler for Australia, gave his explanation on Thursday for withdrawing from the current ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is being held in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

When the two-time winners announced their final group of 15 players earlier this month, Starc was a conspicuous absence despite having been included in Australia’s preliminary squad for the eight-team competition.

At the time, Australia said that they backed Starc’s decision to withdraw from the competition for personal reasons.

The seasoned fast has clarified his exclusion from the Australians’ Champions Trophy campaign.

Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast in Australia, Starc went into further detail about the subject. The left-armer stated that his primary motivation for skipping the Champions Trophy was to guarantee his availability for the June ICC World Test Championship Final match against South Africa in London.

“There are other causes, including personal opinions. I simply need to get that one perfect since I had some ankle soreness throughout the Test series. Naturally, the Test final is imminent, followed by a visit to the West Indies. Additionally, there is IPL cricket. The Test final is the primary one that comes to mind. According to the ICC, Starc said, “I need to take care of my body, play some cricket over the next few months, and then be prepared to compete in the Test final.”

With players like Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, and Nathan Ellis playing well and the Australians opening their tournament with a thrilling win against bitter foe England, Starc’s absence at the Champions Trophy hasn’t been missed yet.

Due to a washout against South Africa, Australia must defeat Afghanistan in their last group match in order to advance to the tournament’s knockout round and give Starc more time to recover before a demanding schedule.

Along with fellow quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood, Starc helped lead Australia to their first World Test Championship victory over India at The Oval in 2023. They have since qualified for this year’s final at Lord’s thanks to their strong combination.

“I recall believing the World Test Championship had little significance when it was first established. However, we came really near and lost out, and we wanted to be a part of it as we watched it on TV. The fast bowler said, “We are now sitting with a chance to win it for the second time in a row.