NEW DELHI: Batting legend Ricky Ponting feels star pacer Mitchell Starc and clever leg-spinner Adam Zampa will be crucial for Australia’s success in the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup and the duo must be at their best during the mega event.
Speedster Starc was the pick of Australia’s bowlers during the recent ODI series in India with eight wickets as the experienced quick intimidated white-ball specialist Suryakumar Yadav with a pair of golden ducks in the first two fixtures.
The left-arm quick now looms as Australia’s dangerman at the Cricket World Cup later this year after showing he remains a threat even in sub-continent conditions.
Starc has already claimed the most victims outright at the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, after sharing the honour with Trent Boult in the 2015 tournament.
“It’s the overall package of Mitchell Starc. He’s six-foot-five, bowls in the high 140-km per hour, he’s a left-armer and he swings the new ball back in as Suryakumar found out. When he’s on song, he’s as good as anyone in the world and has been for a long time,” Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
“For lots of strange reasons, there have always been people willing to sit back and take potshots at Mitchell Starc for some of his performances. But if you have a cold hard look at the facts, particularly in white-ball cricket, his numbers are absolutely outstanding. He’s shown in that series just how dangerous he can be with the new ball, regardless of the conditions,” he added.
Adam Zampa was another of Australia’s attacking threats with the ball in the three ODIs in India, taking four wickets for the series while restricting the hosts to only 4.88 runs an over.
The leg-spinner has now surged to the top of the wicket-takers list in the Cricket World Cup Super League - with 41 victims in 18 matches at an average of 19.73.
“He’s probably been Australia’s key bowler in all white-ball cricket for a long time, along with Mitchell Starc. Starc has been great but Adam Zampa for four or five years now has been a real revelation,” Ponting said.
“He’s been the backbone of the Australian bowling attack which probably led to him being a little bit disappointed not to be picked on a Test tour to India. But he’s an outstanding performer.
For a leg-spinner to become a very, very consistent performer, it’s very rare that teams get on top of him and get hold of him. He’s going to be one of Australia’s trump cards for sure,” he added. IANS
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