Australia have lost a second all-rounder ahead of Saturday’s Cricket World Cup clash against England, with Mitchell Marsh returning home for personal reasons.
Precise details of Marsh’s circumstances are unclear, but he flew out of Ahmedabad on Wednesday and is not guaranteed to return before the end of the tournament.
Australia are already without Glenn Maxwell, who took a tumble off the back of a golf cart during a day off and sustained a concussion.
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Highlights from Australia’s win over Pakistan as David Warner and Mitchell Marsh shared a partnership worth 259 – the highest opening stand in a World Cup for their side
“Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has returned home from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 late last night for personal reasons,” a statement from Cricket Australia read.
“A timeline on his return to the squad is to be confirmed. No further detail will be offered at this time.”
The double blow robs Australia of batting firepower and bowling options and is likely to lead to a reshuffle of the side, with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne moving up a spot in the order.
Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green are set to step into the starting XI, but with Marsh and Maxwell both striking centuries in the tournament, Australia look weaker in their absence.
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Marsh, who has played in 85 ODIs for Australia, cracked an impressive 121 off 108 balls in his team’s 62-run win over Pakistan.
The 32-year-old’s withdrawal on the back of Maxwell suffering a concussion leaves Australia down to 13 available players going into the match against England.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott and wicketkeeper Alex Carey are the other two members of the squad, with spinner Tanveer Sangha a travelling reserve.
Any replacement call-up would need approval from the World Cup’s Event Technical Committee.
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