MELBOURNE, June 6 (Reuters) – Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is comfortable with his decision to leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) following the India-Pakistan clashes last month regardless of any repercussions, the 35-year-old said.
The IPL was suspended on May 9 in the wake of hostilities between the two. It resumed on May 17 after the nuclear-armed neighbours agreed to a ceasefire.
While most IPL foreign recruits returned to complete their franchise commitment, the Delhi Capitals duo of Starc and fellow Australian Jake Fraser-McGurk took no further part in the 10-team league.
“I’m comfortable with my decision and how I felt about the whole situation and how it was handled,” Starc told the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.
“Time will tell with repercussions or how it looks with guys that didn’t return. But I’ve had my questions and concerns leading into that game, and obviously we saw what happened, which played a part in my decision.”
Starc was in Dharamsala, near the Pakistan border, for Delhi’s May 9 match against the Punjab Kings. The contest was abandoned midway through, although league organisers blamed it on a floodlights failure.
“Jake and I chose not to (return). So it was a very individual decision, and I’m happy to live with whatever comes of that,” Starc said.
He opted out of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan earlier this year citing personal reasons and has skipped the IPL more than once to preserve himself for international cricket.
The left-arm quick said he withdrew from the remainder of the IPL because of the extraordinary circumstances.
“I’m still heavily committed to the Delhi group, and I’m not someone that’s gone into tournaments and pulled out after being picked up in an auction or whatever that looks like,” Starc said.
“These are different circumstances … I had a discussion back home then came to a decision, and whatever comes from that I’m comfortable with that and we move forward.” (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Tom Hogue)
