By Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s newly-appointed T20I captain, finds himself balancing recovery from a right hamstring strain with tactical preparations. The injury cut short his Indian Premier League stint and has put his fitness for the upcoming World Cup in question.
Addressing reporters in Perth on Thursday, Marsh admitted he is still “a couple of weeks” away from full fitness but remains optimistic about his chances of making the World Cup squad. He stated, “If we had to play tomorrow, I’d be in a bit of trouble. Still a couple of weeks away (from full fitness). The timing probably sits perfectly, barring no setbacks. I’ll be on the plane, ready to go.”
Speaking about Marsh’s recovery, selection chief George Bailey mentioned, “[Marsh] is coming along pretty well, I think he starts batting again pretty shortly, obviously the build to bowling is probably going to look a little bit different, but again we’ve got some flexibility there. That will build in time, but he’ll certainly be fit and firing to play.”
Marsh acknowledges the importance of avoiding ‘setbacks’ in recovery
Australia is set to kick off their World Cup campaign against Oman in Barbados on June 6, a momentous occasion for Marsh as he assumes the full-time captaincy after serving as interim captain for a year.
Reflecting on his captaincy appointment, Marsh expressed his pride, stating, “It’s not every day you get to captain Australia and lead them to a World Cup. That’s very exciting.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining a relaxed environment within the team and focusing on giving their best on the field.
Marsh also shared his thoughts on the exclusion of Jake Fraser-McGurk from the squad, praising the youngster’s talent and impact in the IPL. However, he expressed confidence in the current squad, especially in the performances of Aaron Finch and David Warner, stating, “We’re really comfortable that we’ve got the right 15, to hopefully take us deep into the World Cup.”
