Clear head puts Starc on the path to new heights

Mitchell Starc believes a clearer head and ability to let things go are the secrets behind him bowling as well as ever, with the left-armer on the verge of entering the top five wicket-taking quicks of all time.

Starc will enter next week's first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin on 433 wickets, one shy of Indian great Kapil Dev's career haul.

Seven scalps in this month's series will also see him pass Dale Steyn's mark of 439 and into fifth spot of all fast bowlers to have played Test cricket.

And Starc, 36, is showing no signs of slowing down.

He is considered one of the top contenders for the 2026 Allan Border Medal count on Friday, with the long-delayed presentation coming after Starc took 55 wickets at an average of 17.32 last year.

Starc won the award in 2022 and believes it is no coincidence the big second half of his career has come as part of Australia's most settled pace attack in history.

His use of the wobble seam with Kookaburra balls has also been a factor, but Starc insists the biggest change has been between the ears.

"Excuse my language, but it's just been letting shit go," Starc told AAP.

"You're never as good or bad as you think or other people think you are.

"I still moan and whinge about anything that goes wrong with or feels wrong. Even heading into (last) summer, it didn't feel like it clicked until the day before the Ashes.

"But I think what's been a feature of our group and led by 'Ron' (Andrew McDonald) and Pat (Cummins), is that whether it's a good day, bad day, good over, bad spell, it's done. Move on.

"What can you change in real time?"

Starc has long maintained age is no barrier, with only Glenn McGrath having claimed more wickets as an Australian quick after their 35th birthday.

A career high also came last summer, spearheading Australia's 4-1 Ashes series win.

"When you're 36 and you've been around for 16 years, you'd like to think you've improved or got better at something," Starc said.

"You're also around that long because you're able to develop and learn and improve.

"And you add in a few things like the wobble seam, consistency and other things. I have a pretty clear mindset on it all."

Starc will sit behind only James Anderson, Stuart Broad, McGrath and Courtney Walsh in terms of quicks, if he does surpass Steyn's career mark this month.

Seven more wickets would also move Starc into the top 10 Test bowlers of all time alongside teammate Nathan Lyon, who sits sixth on 567 wickets.

"It means I've played a bit," Starc quipped.

"It is cool and very humbling to be spoken about it with those guys.

"But that stuff doesn't mean a whole lot while you're still playing. You don't get too far ahead."

NRMA Insurance Bangladesh Test series

First Test: August 13-17, Marrara Stadium, Darwin, 10am (local)

Second Test: August 22-26, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 10am (local)

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Bangladesh squad (first Test): Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vc), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Mominul Haque Showrab, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali Anik, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan