Australia captain Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan, starting May 30. The all-rounder is reportedly suffering from an ankle injury, which also forced him to sit out in Lucknow Super Giantsโ final league game of the season against Punjab Kings.ย
Cricket Australia hasnโt shared enough details regarding Marshโs injury, as it is unclear if the cricketer will miss only the Pakistan tour or the ODI series against Bangladesh as well, starting June 9. It will be followed by a T20I series later in the month.ย
Meanwhile, in Marshโs absence, Josh Inglis will now take charge of the ODI squad, with regular captain Pat Cummins and senior batter Travis Head unavailable because of their IPL playoff commitments.
With that, Inglis has now become the teamโs fourth-choice ODI skipper for the series. The keeper-batter previously led Australia in one ODI and three T20 internationals against Pakistan late last year. Alex Carey remains another leadership option in the squad after captaining Australia during an ODI series in the Caribbean in 2021.
Connolly could replace Marsh
Australiaโs resources have already been thinned by the absence of Cummins, Head, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Several fringe players, including Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis, were initially overlooked for the Pakistan leg because their IPL commitments were expected to continue into the playoffs. Their franchiseโs late collapse, however, has reopened the possibility of additions to the squad. No replacement for Marsh has yet been announced, although Connolly could join the group earlier than anticipated.
Marshโs withdrawal also leaves Australia short at the top of the batting order. The 33-year-old had been in destructive form during the latter stages of the IPL, producing scores of 111, 90 and 96 among his final four innings while striking at over 163.
With Marsh out, the team management must now reconsider their opening combination. Matt Short had appeared likely to partner Marsh during Headโs absence, but alternative solutions are being discussed. Carey could be pushed up the order, while teenage batter Ollie Peake is in contention for a middle-order opportunity.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald is also expected to continue experimenting with Cameron Green in the middle order as the team searches for a long-term successor to Glenn Maxwell in ODI cricket.
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