Mitchell Starc's selfless promise to young fan revealed as classy act comes to light

Mitchell Starc's touching gesture to a young fan has come to light in the wake of Australia's 79-run victory at the MCG over Pakistan on Friday. At the end of the lunch break on day four, a young fan asked Starc for his shoes.

The fast bowler promised the boy if they took the remaining nine Pakistan wickets by the end of the day he could have his boots. Starc was instrumental in the hosts closing out a thrilling Test, taking four wickets to help dismiss the Pakistanis and give Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and retain the Benaud-Qadir trophy.

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Despite the Aussies celebrating their Boxing Day Test success, Starc didn't forget the promise he made the special fan and long after play had concluded returned to the pitch to seek out the youngster. The Aussie paceman handed the young fan his spikes and posed for photos. He was joined by the rest of the Australian side who all came out to thank and greet the hundreds of fans who stuck around hours after the day's play was over.

The Aussie side has had a successful 2023, most notably winning the Cricket World Cup in a season that has far exceeded expectations. Pat Cummins' leadership came under the microscope at the end of last year but the doubts over whether he is the right man to lead the side are now well and truly in the rear vision mirror.

Bharat Sundaresan applauds Pat Cummins for his leadership

Following the match SEN's Bharat Sundaresun commended Cummins on his leadership and said the Australian team has cemented itself as one of the most loved sides in the country. “Twelve months ago, many wondered whether this Australian team led by Pat Cummins was liked by the Australian public,” Sundaresun said. “After what has been a red-letter year it seems very clear that this Australian team led by Pat Cummins is loved by the Australian public as seen at the MCG.”

Cummins was rewarded with the Johnny Mullagh Medal for player of the Boxing Day Test after finishing with match figures of 10-97. It was the skipper's second 10-wicket haul in a Test in 2023 and during the match managed to become just the 10th Aussie to pass 250 Test scalps, capping off a stellar year as captain. Of those 10 Australian bowlers, Cummins has the best strike rate (46.7) and second-best bowling average (22.32) behind only the great Glenn McGrath.

Mohammad Hafeez blames 'inconsistent umpiring' for Boxing Day Test loss

Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez stated that his side outplayed Australia in the second Test, claiming the only reason they didn't come out on top was due to umpiring errors and the poor use of DRS technology. "Our Pakistan team played better than the other team in general," Hafeez said.

"Our batting intent was better, our bowling was hitting in the right areas. Yes, we made some mistakes … but as a team, I believe that there were a lot of positives within the team. I believe inconsistent umpiring … has really given us the result, which should have been different."

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