“To be clear, just because someone’s not in an XI, it doesn’t mean we think they’re not a good player. It doesn’t remove the fact of whatever they might have done for Australia in the past. Unfortunately you can only pick 11.”

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Either way, Starc was adamant that the glut of international matches meant an increasing number of players would pick and choose which formats and series to take part in. As a long-time absentee from the IPL due to his desire to spend time with his fellow cricketer wife Alyssa Healy, Starc has more right to say this than most.

“It’s certainly impossible at the moment to play every game as a three-format player,” Starc said. “We’ve seen that over the last few years, sometimes there’s two Australian teams playing at the same time in different continents in different formats.

“It’s impossible for everyone to play every single game of cricket in a 12-month period now with the way they are scheduling things. They see a break and put a series on.

“I think having those periods of time to rest helps me keep bowling at decent speeds for a period of time; I don’t think playing three formats is something I can do for a long period of time moving forward now.”

As far as the IPL is concerned, 32-year-old Starc made it plain that losing some ground as a T20 force was a price he was willing to pay in order to keep bowling fast and staying fit over a long period.

“It may have, but if I’d gone in there and having no break and playing 12 months of the year, what does that affect?” Starc said. “Does that affect my body? Do I break down? Does it affect my red-ball cricket? You can’t just sit there and go ‘he should go to the IPL’ because he’d be a better T20 bowler.

“What’s the downside of that? Do I give away a format of the game because I’m playing 12 months of the year? In my mind I don’t regret any of those decisions not to go. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed April and May for the last seven or eight years, it’s probably helped my golf handicap, too. I wouldn’t change it.

“Tests far above white ball. I’ll decide on the rest as I go and where my body’s at and how I feel about it. I’d love to, selection and form pending, continue playing Test cricket as long as we can.”

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