Australia’s journey in the 2023 Cricket World Cup has encountered another obstacle as their star player, Mitchell Marsh, will be unavailable for the upcoming match against England (ENG vs AUS) due to personal reasons. Marsh has returned to his hometown of Perth, which means he won’t be part of the team for their Saturday match in Ahmedabad. This setback comes on the heels of another blow, with Glenn Maxwell ruled out after suffering a concussion during a golf outing on Monday.
Cricket Australia officially confirmed Mitchell Marsh’s departure with a statement on Thursday. The statement stated that Mitchell Marsh left the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 for personal reasons and did not specify when he might return. They also mentioned that no further details would be provided at this time.
“Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has returned home from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 late last night for personal reasons. A timeline on his return to the squad is to be confirmed. No further detail will be offered at this time,” the statement read.
Regarding the team’s lineup, Marcus Stoinis is likely to rejoin the squad after recovering from a minor calf issue that kept him out of the last two matches against the Netherlands and New Zealand. Cameron Green is also expected to make a comeback, and Marnus Labuschagne will retain his position in the middle order. However, Australia will have only 13 fit players for the match against England, with Sean Abbott and Alex Carey as the only other options in the squad.
Mitchell Marsh’s absence is likely to result in Steven Smith taking his place at No.3 in the batting lineup. This is a significant setback for Australia, as they are missing two of their most explosive and influential players, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell, as they strive to secure a spot in the semi-finals. This unfortunate turn of events has disrupted the team’s balance and is a cause for concern for Australian cricket fans ahead of the ENG vs AUS match.