Mitchell Marsh’s recovery from a hamstring tear has been slower than anticipated, but Australia’s coach, Andrew McDonald, remains confident that the skipper will be fully fit for the opening game of the World Cup. Marsh was ruled out of the IPL last month and has been undergoing rehabilitation since returning home from India.
McDonald confirmed that Marsh will not be fit to bowl until the final week before the squad departs for the Caribbean on May 25. However, he emphasized that Marsh has made significant progress and will be able to ramp up his bowling intensity once the team arrives in the Caribbean.
“We’ve got plenty of time now that he has been ruled out the IPL,” McDonald said. “The first game is just short of a month away now. So ample time for him to get ready.”
McDonald also addressed concerns about Marsh’s lack of match practice, stating that Australia will have practice games before their opening clash with Oman. “We’ve got a couple of practice games when we get to Trinidad in the support period,” McDonald said. “So he’ll likely get plenty of match opportunities.”
The coach also confirmed that Australia will likely take one traveling reserve but has yet to decide on the type of player they need as cover for the 15-man squad.
McDonald defended the age profile of Australia’s squad, which includes only one player under the age of 28. “I’m a big believer in you don’t know when the end is going to be,” McDonald said. “And a lot of people write off those players just based around their age.”
He highlighted the strong performances of senior players such as David Warner, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc in recent months. “Those players that are probably the elder statesman of the team are still performing at international level,” McDonald said. “And that goes a long way.”
