New approach paying dividends for Starc

White-ball cricket has largely been on the backburner for Mitchell Starc over the past year, but Australia's fit-again strike weapon is optimistic the lethal in-swinger that helped earn him player-of-the-tournament honours at the last World Cup will again be at his disposal. 

After an up-and-down summer which ended in him suffering an unusual pectoral injury in January's Canberra Test match, Starc looks to have not only regained full fitness but also the deadly weapon that spurred him to 22 wickets at the astonishing average of 10 at the 2015 World Cup.

The left-armer gave a tantalising glimpse of it in a warm-up game against New Zealand in Brisbane earlier this month, rattling stumps and hitting speeds approaching 150 kph – an ominous sign for Australia's upcoming title defence in the United Kingdom.

While getting his body right for the World Cup has been his key focus in recent months, Starc has also made significant changes to his mental outlook on bowling.   

"I've done a fair bit of work since Canberra," he told reporters in Southampton, where Australia play the first of three warm-up games on Wednesday against West Indies. 

"Having three months to chat about things and have a little bit of a different approach to how I think about it, and perhaps the change of wording and what my cues are have really helped me in coming to back to this stage.

"Not really worrying about the result at the other end, more worrying about what I can control which has really helped with that focus and with the result at the other end.

"It's been a nice little period … just having a finer focus on a couple of things which are really helping me."

Image Id: 5E8CA560065741478D7665363E4A3FA3 Image Caption: Starc at Australia training in Southampton // Cricket Network

At times during the Test summer, Starc struggled to discover his trademark new-ball swing, but he believes the recent tweaks have helped him find movement more often. 

"That time through Brisbane and here and the last few days at Whitgift (School, Australia's initial UK training base) has been nice to have those little changes in cues and focuses which have seen that in-swinger come back more consistently for me," he continued. 

"It's been (there) at different stages in the last few years. It's come and gone. 

"Having those three months to focus on certain things, which are going to help that (swing) hopefully be more consistent. 

"At the moment it's going quite well but it's all about that consistency, but it's got to be consistent throughout the World Cup first and foremost."

Starc has played a grand total of four international white-ball games since February last year, but he expects Australia's bowling attack to bed down their respective roles in the upcoming practice games, the latter two against England and Sri Lanka to be held at the Ageas Bowl.

But the first, an unofficial clash with West Indies on Wednesday, will be held on Hampshire's pocket-sized Nursery Ground, located between their main oval and a golf course.

"It’s a small ground, I think a few of them (balls) might be over on the 17th fairway," Starc said. "It’s a nice hit out these three games with two on the main ground which is going to be really exciting. 

"One against England who have been playing some really good cricket so it’s a nice build up for us to get some finer plans in place heading into that first game."

2019 World Cup

Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

May 22: (warm-up) Australia v West Indies, Southampton

May 25: (warm-up) England v Australia, Southampton

May 27: (warm-up) Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton

June 1: Afghanistan v Australia, Bristol (D/N)

June 6: Australia v West Indies, Trent Bridge

June 9: India v Australia, The Oval

June 12: Australia v Pakistan, Taunton

June 15: Sri Lanka v Australia, The Oval

June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge

June 25: England v Australia, Lord's

June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)

July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)

July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford

July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston

July 14: Final, Lord's

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE