Mitchell Starc has no regrets about prioritising international cricket and family life ahead of the vast Indian Premier League riches, a week after becoming the Twenty20 juggernaut's highest-paid player.
The 33-year-old quick will head back to the IPL next year for the first time since 2015 as Australia prepares for the Twenty20 World Cup in the United States and Caribbean in June.
Starc broke the record for the most expensive player in the IPL auction when bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering $4.42 million.
The massive payday broke the record set by Australian captain and fellow quick Pat Cummins just an hour earlier when he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Starc has always known he was giving up millions of dollars by opting out of the IPL, but the recent windfall laid bare the money he could have earned in the past decade.
"Juggling one cricket schedule is hard enough, let alone when there’s two in a relationship," said the left-armer, who's married to international women's star Alyssa Healy.
"So I’ve always spent that time away from cricket with Alyssa or time with family and recharging my body for being as fit and as ready as I can for Australian cricket.Â
"I don’t regret any of it.
"I think it’s certainly helped my Test cricket.Â
"The money is always nice and certainly was this year but I’ve always prioritised international cricket and I think that’s helped my game."
Starc's Australia commitment has helped him stay on the park to build his pace partnership with Cummins and Josh Hazlewood into one of Test cricket's finest.
The trio, along with star spinner Nathan Lyon, ripped through Pakistan during the first Test in Perth as Australia won by 360 runs.
All three quicks are healthy and in-form, meaning MCG hero Scott Boland will miss out on another Boxing Day Test appearance.
Boland hasn't played since the third Test of the Ashes in July, and selectors will resist the temptation to include the Victorian this year.
Australia are stocked with fast-bowling depth, but those on the fringe will have to keep biding their time.
"We look back at the Ashes and having six Tests in eight weeks was something that doesn’t happen all the time," Starc said.
"But the way we’re all feeling at the minute we’re ready to go.
"There were a few issues there after the Ashes that we didn’t know until we got home and sort of managed them pretty well through the World Cup."
Starc will play his 84th Test on Boxing Day, having taken 338 wickets at an average of 27.49.
Australia have won 15-straight Tests at home against Pakistan, with their last defeat to the tourists coming at the SCG back in 1995.
