Australia’s Champions Trophy hopes have suffered a significant blow with the news that power-hitter Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out due to a recurring back injury. The injury, which has worsened in recent weeks, led Cricket Australia to make the decision for Marsh to undergo an extended rehabilitation period.
Cricket Australia confirmed that Marsh’s lower back pain had flared up, prompting the National Selection Panel (NSP) to sideline him for the time being. This injury comes as a major setback for the star player, who was a strong contender for the captaincy, especially in the event that regular captain Pat Cummins was unavailable due to his ongoing ankle issue.
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Marsh, who was named the 2024 Allan Border Medallist and Australia’s One-Day International Player of the Year, had been a key figure in Australia’s lineup. The selectors are now tasked with finding a replacement for Marsh, with the deadline for squad changes set for February 12.
This injury follows a challenging period for Marsh, who had been dropped from the Test team before the Boxing Day Test against India. His absence now adds to Australia’s growing list of injury concerns, with Cummins still working on his ankle recovery and Marcus Stoinis dealing with a hamstring issue sustained in South Africa’s Twenty20 competition.
Marsh’s most recent outing saw him score an unbeaten 55 off 40 balls for the Durban Super Giants, but he was forced to leave the field due to discomfort in his hamstring. DSG captain Keshav Maharaj noted the injury wasn’t considered too serious but emphasized the importance of caution.
With the Champions Trophy fast approaching, Australia will need to find a suitable replacement to fill the gap left by Marsh.
