'As I said, while you're contributing, or while you're in the best group of players, why do you have to put a cap on a guy or a girl, if you're a certain age?'
Ace Australian speedster Mitchell Starc on Thursday said that he has no plans to retire from Test cricket in the near future.
Starc's comments came after the Australia clinched the five-match Ashes series 4-1 after defeating England by five wickets in the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Thursday.
Starc, picked 31 wickets to finish as the highest wicket-taker and played a crucial role in Australia's Ashes victory over the Ben Stokes-led side.
He picked up 31 wickets in 10 innings at a superb average of 19.93, along with two five-wicket hauls. Apart from bowling, Starc notched up 156 runs with the bat, along with two half-centuries.
Starc took the responsibility in the absence of veteran pacers Pat Cummins, who played the Adelaide Test, and Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out due the injury.
"I obviously haven't had a chance to think of it (retirement) yet. I think just putting on a baggy green is incentive enough to keep going. While I'm still able to play a role in this group, and I feel like I can contribute in major ways, I'd love to keep going out there and emptying the tank for the team. Without T20 cricket now, I've got a chance just to sit back and reflect on a few weeks, maybe rebuild the body a little bit, and go again," Starc told SEN Cricket.
Starc revealed that he will watch the Australia Women vs India Women series alongside the ICC Men's ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
"I'll sit back and watch the women's team do their thing against India and see the guys do their stuff over in India as well.
"I think there's been so much made of the age profile. Sport's changed, life's changed. There's no reason guys can't go longer or there's no end date on people. As I said, while you're contributing, or while you're in the best group of players, why do you have to put a cap on a guy or a girl, if you're a certain age?" he added.
"I think this group has shown that, whilst there's so much made about our age profile, I think at times through this series, that experience has been a really good thing in some moments in this series," Starc said at the post-match press conference.
"And I think we've seen guys prove that if you're still playing your role, or if you're still good enough, it shouldn't matter how old you are.
"If we both get to go on those tours in '27 it'd be lovely to tick them off, but we've got plenty of cricket before then."
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