IPL’s Mitchell Starc reality: Are franchises too obsessed with foreign players?

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) would be the most concerned side a week ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 as Mitchell Starc, one of their prime picks for the tournament, was ruled out of the entire tournament with a leg bone injury. The seriousness of the injury even forced him out of the fourth Test between Australia and South Africa which is being played in Johannesburg. The KKR bought the 28-year-old left-handed speedster for Rs 9.4 crore – their most expensive buy — in the IPL auction in January this year. Now, the KKR who otherwise have settled for a comparatively smaller squad would be wondering what to do next.

What is worse is that this is not the first time that Starc would miss an entire IPL because of injury. The New South Welsh player, who was picked as the man of the series in the 2015 ICC World Cup at home, is a fantastic Twenty20 bowler but at the same time, he has been so prone to injuries over the last few years that he has played almost nothing in a high-voltage tournament like IPL.

Starc missed whole of IPL 2016 and 2017

Starc made his debut in IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and played 27 matches that year and the following, claiming 34 scalps. But since then, he has played in just three T20s – all internationals – against England in August 2015 and against Sri Lanka in end 2016.

The man has also missed Tests against India and England and a series versus Bangladesh and although he was adjudged the man of the match in the first Test against South Africa in Durban this year, he struggled to maintain the performance in the next two Tests that Australia lost. Starc missed the IPL 2016 because of a fracture in left foot while he pulled out on the eve of the auction for the 2017 edition to freshen himself up and prepare more for the national commitments although there were talks that he was suffering from a right-foot injury. He let go a contract worth millions by deciding not to play in the 2017 edition, leaving a vacuum in the RCB’s bowling ranks.

The temptation to rope in foreign players harming IPL teams

But now with Starc becoming unavailable for the 2018 edition as well and putting yet another team in a spot, one can’t help but question the temptation of the franchises to run after foreign players even if they do not assure with their commitments. An injured horse, no matter how golden its past holds, is of no use and the IPL teams need to take that fact into account while choosing players.

It was surprising that the KKR did not keep Starc’s recent stints with an injury in mind while spending a bagful of money on him. They have faced a similar experience with players like Shoaib Akhtar, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell in the past but yet there was no mending of ways for them. In 2008, the KKR had bought former Australia captain Ricky Ponting despite knowing he would be available for just a few games in the tournament.

Imagine an Indian player getting benefit of doubt like Starc?

The Starc episode makes it evident that we Indians are so obsessed with the ‘foreign’ that we fall short of giving our best in picking the right and effective combination. Imagine what would have happened to an Indian bowler if he went on missing three consecutive years of the IPL because of injuries or other reasons.

It would be bizarre to even expect an Indian player getting bought for a mammoth price even after struggling to play cricket for a considerable period of time. Going unsold would have been a more logical conclusion for him. But for the foreign players, the reputation comes to their rescue even if they fail to live up to it.

Time to ensure IPL buys are fit to survive whole season

It is time the IPL organisers arrive at a decision to make players go through rigorous fitness tests before they are certified to take part in the auction. In this way, the practice of overrating players can be curbed and more lesser-known faces can be accommodated in the tournament to showcase their skills.

The irony of the IPL is that even though it is an Indian tournament by name, it is heavily dependent on the ‘international’ factor to make its show more saleable. The temptation to pull foreign players, even if they are not fully fit, emanates from that fact but in the end, this exercise seems meaningless and unfairly hits teams’ chances. For Starc, it was the RCB first and now the KKR.

The IPL is a lucrative opportunity for the foreign players no doubt ad they find it difficult to ignore the monetary and glamour prospects associated with it. But taking the franchises for granted with their impressive records is not how these players should see it at the end of day.

To remain fit for two full months in the ruthless Indian summer should be their topmost priority. If they feel they can’t survive it, they should be honest enough to concede that well before. Nobody questions their professionalism when it comes to the national duty, but that touch of professionalism should also reflect in their perception of IPL.

Here are the injury troubles that have forced him to miss the IPL:

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