BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Veteran Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has retired from Twenty20 international cricket in a bid to extend his career in the test and one-day formats.
Starc and test skipper Pat Cummins, two members of Australia's long-serving pace bowling triumvirate, were missing from the national T20 squad announced Tuesday for a three-game series in New Zealand starting Oct. 1.
The 35-year-old Starc, who took 79 wickes in 65 T20 internationals for Australia, said test cricket was his priority and he needed to prepare for an intense international schedule over the next two years.
Cummins has been rested since the test series in the Caribbean last month and has experienced some lower back pain, limiting his preparation for the Ashes series against England starting in November.
Starc wants to be at full fitness for the Ashes and test series in India next year and the next ODI World Cup in 2027, and decided something had to give.
“I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup — not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way," he said. "Looking ahead (T20 retirement) is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns.
“It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.”
Starc has been instrumental in Australia's success, and is second on the list of all-time wicket-takers for the national team in the T20 format. The left-arm paceman's full-length deliveries have cemented his reputation as a strike bowler.
“Mitch should be incredibly proud of his T20 career for Australia. He was an integral member of the 2021 World Cup winning side and, as across all his cricket, had a great skill for blowing games open with his wicket taking ability," Australia selection chairman George Bailey said. "We will acknowledge and celebrate his T20 career at the right time, but pleasingly he remains focused on continuing to play test and ODI cricket for a long as possible.”
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
FILE - Australia's Mitchell Starc smiles during Day 2 of the second cricket Test match against West Indies at National Cricket Stadium in St. George's, Grenada, July 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)
KOHALA, Hawai‘i--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 15, 2026--
Kuleana Rum Works, the Hawai‘i-based distillery known for its additive-free, award-winning rums, today announced the release of “An Open Letter on Additive-Free Rum,” written by Founder & CEO Steve Jefferson, addressing why rum is now facing the same scrutiny and market shift that reshaped tequila a decade ago.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260107792953/en/
Consumers across spirits are demanding more honesty about how products are made. Additive-free labeling has already transformed tequila and is reshaping whiskey and RTDs. Drinkers now expect producers to protect natural flavor instead of masking it, and bartenders increasingly use transparency as a measure of quality. The letter positions rum as the next category entering this accountability cycle, as more consumers begin to question undisclosed sweeteners, flavorings and added color.
Tequila provides the clearest precedent. Producers who embraced additive-free methods helped premiumize the category, while brands relying on undisclosed additives now face growing skepticism. According to the letter, rum is approaching the same turning point. Jefferson explains that Kuleana Rum Works was founded on additive-free principles: growing heirloom Hawaiian kō (sugarcane), fermenting and distilling fresh juice at lower proof to preserve natural character, adding nothing after distillation and holding all blending partners to the same standards. Every rum — whether distilled in Hawai‘i or sourced — is verified additive-free through independent lab testing and supplier documentation.
“Consumer expectations are changing fast across spirits,” said Steve Jefferson, Founder and CEO of Kuleana Rum Works. “People want honesty in what they drink, and they’re rewarding producers who protect natural flavor rather than covering it up. Additive-free isn’t a trend — it’s becoming the standard, and rum is now facing that shift head-on.”
Additional detail in the letter underscores how production choices such as fresh juice fermentation, low-proof distillation and a strict no-additives policy create transparency and flavor integrity that align with what the market is valuing.
About Kuleana Rum Works
Founded on the island of Hawai‘i in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works crafts award-winning, additive-free rums — led by its signature Hawaiian Rum Agricole® — from fresh kō (heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane) grown on its regenerative Kohala farm. Now available in 17 states and Japan, Kuleana Rum Works champions excellence, transparency and community stewardship. Visit kuleanarum.com to learn more.
https://kuleanarum.com/additive-free/
