Due to a back injury, star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will be unable to compete in the Champions Trophy and is not expected to return this season, which may also cast doubt on his IPL career with the Lucknow Super Giants. After making 73 runs in seven innings and playing a limited part with the ball during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Marsh had a tough season and lost his Test spot to Beau Webster for the last match against India at the SCG. Throughout that five-Test series, people frequently discussed his level of fitness.
Cricket Australia rules out Marsh
After the Test series against India, he played one BBL match on January 7. However, he took a break from the final three BBL games to recuperate both physically and mentally in preparation for the Champions Trophy. However, the selectors have now ruled him from the competition because his back injury appears to be a serious issue. The problem was defined as "lower back pain and dysfunction" in a CA statement, but no details were provided.
"Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC Men's Champion's Trophy with ongoing lower back pain and dysfunction. The National Selection Panel and Australian men's medical team ruled Marsh out of the tournament with the injury which has not responded sufficiently to rehabilitation," the statement said.
"His lower back pain flared in recent weeks leading the NSP to make the longer term decision for Marsh to complete a more extended period of rehabilitation. Marsh will now undergo a period of further rest and rehabilitation as part of his return to play plan. The NSP will meet to decide on a replacement for Marsh in due course," the statement added.
Potential replacement plans
Plans for the top order will need to be adjusted due to the absence of Marsh, Australia's T20I skipper and who also came in as a stand-in skipper during Pat Cummins' absence ODI team. Despite having a poor run in the BBL until the very end and having struggling outings against Pakistan earlier in the season, Jake Fraser-McGurk might be a potential replacement. Although he has only reached the 50-run mark twice in 22 innings and has not yet faced 50 balls or more in List A cricket, his explosive power at the top makes him a like-for-like replacement for Marsh at No. 3.
Australia might select another all-rounder to replace Marsh because they already have a lot of batting cover in the squad, including backup wicketkeeper Alex Carey. Had he not sustained a back ailment, Will Sutherland, who participated in ODI cricket last year, would have been on the September tour to England. Although Australia already has four batters who can bowl spin in the team, Cooper Connolly is another spin-bowling all-rounder to consider. Webster has not played ODI cricket but might be called upon if necessary. As he recovers from back surgery in October, Cameron Green is still unavailable.
Cummins is also still doubtful for the tournament because of an ankle injury he sustained during the Test series against India. This means with Marsh out of contention, Australia may also need a new captain, which would include Steven Smith, who currently leads the Test team in Sri Lanka, Travis Head, and Josh Inglis. Head has led the T20I team but not the ODI team. Despite Cummins being certain to advance to the 2027 ODI World Cup, Australia is keeping a close eye on their future leadership prospects, and Inglis captained both throughout the current home summer.
Marsh scored hundreds against Bangladesh and Pakistan and helped Australia win the 2023 ODI World Cup. He has averaged 44.54 in ODIs with a strike-rate of 109.13 since being employed regularly in the top order starting in March 2023. In addition to his steady limited-overs performances, Marsh's triumphant return to Test cricket earned him the Allan Border Medalist award a year ago. Squads for the Champions Trophy are open to changes until February 11; after that, the technical committee must approve them. In preparation for the event, Australia will play two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Sri Lanka on February 12 and 14.