'Mitch didn’t want to be there playing cricket' - Alyssa Healy opens up on why Mitchell Starc wanted to miss the last Border Gavaskar Trophy

Australia didn’t have a great time during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy where they had to bear a defeat by 1-2 on their soil only. The defeat turned worse for Australia as India’s depleted side stepped up in an extraordinary manner to stun hosts. Talking of the same tournament, Mitchell Starc’s wife Alyssa Healy recently opened up on why the pacer wished to that event a miss.

Healy added that Starc’s father Paul was suffering from cancer and the pacer wanted to spend some of his father’s last days by his side. He didn’t want to go out and leave him while fulfilling his national commitments but instead, his father pushed him to go out and play. It was only earlier this year that the pacer’s father passed away.

“Mitch didn’t want to be there playing cricket. He wanted to be sitting next to his Dad, and spending the last three months that he could possibly have with his Dad. Paul didn’t want that, he wanted Mitch to go out there, play for Australia and wear his baggy green with pride,” stated Healy while speaking to 7Cricket.

Healy opens up on how Mitchell Starc copped a lot of criticism for not giving his best

Healy even opened up on the fact that Starc had to bear a lot of criticism throughout the tournament for not giving his best. However, not many knew that he was going through a lot in his personal life and stepped up to play while leaving an ailing father back home.

“To have to deal with what was going on behind the scenes and play Test cricket on the biggest arena is not easy. Mitch copped a lot of flak for bowling the way he did last summer but those people who were laying into him had no concept of what was going on behind the scene,” added Healy.

Talking of the tournament, India won the series 2-1 amid all the odd circumstances. Youngsters of India performed brilliantly and even breached the Gabba fortress which was said to be Australia’s empire for so many years. Skipper Virat Kohli wasn’t available during the tournament and the team was led by Ajinkya Rahane.