Mitchell Starc and Alyssa Healy have spoken out about the current state of world cricket and why younger players are being tempted into chasing the riches of T20 leagues over playing for their country. Jake Fraser-McGurk has been pinned as a white-ball specialist, with the 22-year-old already playing in the IPL in India and ILT20 in the UAE.

Tim David is another good example, with the Aussie batter not currently holding a state contract. David plays in Australia’s T20 team, and has represented no fewer than 14 franchises in the shortest form of the game. But his career in the ODI team appears over.

Starc is the complete opposite and has always prioritised family time and playing for Australia over the riches on offer overseas. He famously refused to play in the IPL for over a decade and cost himself about $10 million by doing so.

For Starc, it’s more important to spend as much time at home with wife Healy and focus on keeping his body ready for Tests and ODIs for his country. But the 35-year-old is well aware that times are changing, and younger players are increasingly starting to get better opportunities playing T20 cricket rather than representing their country.

Mitchell Starc opens up on changing state of world cricket

Speaking on the ‘Willow Talk’ podcast this week, Starc delved into the current state of the game and explained why things are the way they are. “You look at someone like Jake Fraser-McGurk, who’s just been retained (in the IPL) for $1.9 million,” he said. “He’s a younger guy who’s watched T20 cricket all the time. He’s still got aspirations to play Test cricket, but he’s come off the back of someone like Davey Warner. Jake is getting a good run at white-ball cricket and franchise cricket.

“On the other end you get guys who have tried to play for Australia for a while and they’re now T20 only players, and they’ve knocked back either state contracts or international contracts, to go and play franchise cricket. I don’t think you can begrudge anyone for what they want to do. We’re at the point now where kids or certain players are going to aspire to do different things, whether it’s to play for one franchise in four different leagues or pull on a baggy green for Australia.”

Alyssa Healy says it’s not about the money

Starc’s wife Healy said fans need to start coming to terms with the change. “We need to start wrapping our heads around that,” she said. “Priorities are changing, and it’s not about the money. I think that’s the most important point. It’s not always about the money they’re throwing at you. It’s actually opportunities to go and play around the world, in different conditions.

“If I wait five or six years to try and get a spot in the Australian team, am I missing out on playing five or six years of playing cricket right around the world and showcasing what I can do? So it’s not always about the financial reward. It’s actually about opportunity to go and play more of the game you love.”

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Speaking in 2023 about his decision to skip the IPL for so long and cost himself $10 million, Starc said: “I’ve always spent that time away from cricket with Alyssa or time with family and recharging my body for being as fit and as ready as I can for Australian cricket. I don’t regret any of it. I think it’s certainly helped my Test cricket. The money is always nice, but I’ve always prioritised international cricket and I think that’s helped my game.”

Starc and Healy are both currently sidelined and not representing Australia. Healy is skipping a T20 tour of New Zealand to get her foot and knee right for the ODI World Cup in October, while Starc is missing the Champions Trophy in Pakistan due to an ankle issue and unspecified “personal views”.