Starc Says Australia's Defining Year Would Rival McIlroy's Major Sweep

Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has framed the next twelve months as the defining stretch of his generation's career. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo ahead of the three-Test series in South Africa starting Friday in Durban, Starc said winning away series against South Africa, India and England — and then defending the one-day World Cup — would be the equivalent of Rory McIlroy winning golf's four majors in a single season. Australia face one of their toughest assignments in years. They have not won a Test series in England since 2001, in India since 2004, or in South Africa since 2014, and the scrutiny of an ageing squad has only grown. Starc, 36, acknowledged the noise around the team's profile but said the group knows exactly what is at stake. "It's somewhat unusual that you play the three marquee series away from home in the space of 12 months," Starc said. "And there's two where we, as an Australian team, haven't won in a long time." Australia arrive in Durban on the back of a 2-1 ODI series defeat to South Africa and will be without the injured Cameron Green for the first Test at Kingsmead.