Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, has confirmed that their captain, Mitchell Marsh, will not be taking on the bowling duties in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024 against Oman. The match is set to take place at Kensington Oval, Barbados, on June 5.
Despite Australia’s loss to West Indies in their warm-up match by 35 runs, McDonald expressed satisfaction with Marsh’s increased involvement in fielding, compared to the previous warm-up against Namibia.
Optimism regarding Marsh’s fitness is growing within the Australian camp with each passing day. However, the team management is opting for caution by holding him back from bowling in the initial match against Oman. This decision reflects their commitment to ensuring Marsh’s full recovery and readiness for the challenges ahead in the tournament.
“From Mitch’s perspective, it was important to gauge where his body stands. Seeing him field more overs tonight and move with greater freedom is a positive sign. It appears he’s primed for the first game,” McDonald shared with cricket.com.au.
Marsh sustained a hamstring injury during his stint with Delhi Capitals in the ongoing IPL 2024, prompting his return to Australia on April 12.
“We strategically planned our post-IPL return, knowing we wouldn’t have the squad together until the first of next month. We’ve organized sessions to bring the group together, work on our strategies leading up to the Oman game, and there’s ample time between that and the England match,” McDonald explained.
“With a familiar group that has played extensively together, we’re confident in our preparations. If it were a less familiar team, our approach might have varied. However, given their cohesion, it’s primarily about fine-tuning the XIs and finding the right balance. We have plenty of options at our disposal,” he added.
