Australia will play their two warm-up matches this week against Namibia and co-hosts West Indies
27 May, 2024
PHOTO: AFP
Mitchell Marsh is all set to lead Australia for the first time at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place in the USA and West Indies next month.
The star all-rounder is recovering from a hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after playing just four matches.
In a recent interview with Cricket Australia, Marsh mentioned that he will need some more time before he can start bowling again.
"It's been progressively slow, but I'm finally getting there now and looking forward to getting stuck into the tournament," Marsh said.
"Initially we thought it was a three-weeker, but with tendons, they can take a little bit longer and you've sort of got to go on feel. Once I was ruled out of the IPL, we've certainly taken our time to get right. And I feel lucky that I've had that bit of extra time, a little bit of time at home to refresh," he added.
While Marsh is eager to return to full fitness, he acknowledged that his bowling would be phased back into his game plan.
"Probably still a little while off. I'll start bowling hopefully soon. Get through these practice games as a batter and then we'll ramp it up,” he said.
As the captain of the T20I squad, the 32-year-old highlighted the strategic flexibility he enjoys, especially with the depth of Australia's all-rounder options.
"But it's one of the beauties of being captain now, I don't have to bowl myself. We're lucky that we've got so many options with the ball and so much talent, Stoin (Marcus Stoinis) and Greenie (Cameron Green), and we've got a lot of options. So, all our planning, it allows me to be really clear on that. I'll bowl when I need to bowl, but outside that, it's always team first," he concluded.
It is worth noting that Marsh is expected to play in Australia's first warm-up match against Namibia on Wednesday 29th May in Trinidad. The former champions also have another warm-up game scheduled for Friday 31st May against the West Indies.
