Mitch Marsh is likely out of the white ball series against Pakistan after sustaining a hip flexor injury at training on Saturday that could also see him miss the IPL.
Marsh will undergo scans a day out from the first of three ODIs in Lahore but Australia will be reticent to risk exacerbating any injury to the T20 World Cup winner.
Marsh was taking part in a high intensity lateral movement drill while training at the Gaddafi Stadium and felt a twinge in his hip after bending down, picking up the ball one-handed and throwing it.
“We're just going to have to wait and see what that looks like in terms of the scan,” said Australia captain, Aaron Finch.
“But I don't think he'll be available for the series based on how he was feeling yesterday.
“So we just need a little bit more time to work through that and shuffle around.”
Marsh was set to play for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL after the sole T20 International that follows the ODIs in Pakistan. The Delhi franchise paid AUD$1.1 million for the allrounder in the latest IPL auction on the back of his Player of the Match performance in last year’s T20 World Cup Final.
Marsh’s omission gives Cameron Green an opportunity to add to his ODI resume.
Green has played just one ODI, during Australia’s home ODI series against India in the 2020-21 season, but has a strong 50-over record in domestic cricket and is coming off an impressive Test series against Pakistan, in which he averaged 51.66 with the bat and took three wickets.
“Cam will play and probably bat in that middle order role, which would be similar to what he played last time when he played in Australia,” Finch said.
“We've seen that he's a super talented cricketer.
“He's someone who's been quite consistent in his Test career so far, his impact with the bat and ball can't be underestimated.
“So yeah, really excited for Cam to get that opportunity.”
Australia will field a relatively inexperienced side in the limited overs matches, with most of the Test players having returned home.
Australia will also be without wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis who this morning tested positive for COVID. Inglis will isolate for five days before returning to the squad.
Matt Renshaw is flying in from Australia to join the touring party.
The remainder of the playing group returned negative results following routine daily testing.
Steve Smith was originally part of the white ball squad but withdrew because of a recurring elbow injury, but Finch said he remains in the frame for Australia’s defence of the T20 World Cup title later this year.
“It was unfortunate that with his elbow, it just keeps flaring up,” said Finch.
“And I think that's a reflection of a guy who's got everything that he can out of himself over the last couple of years and has batted so much.
“That is probably an injury that just needs to be monitored over and over and in terms of his role within the side, I think that we saw a really flexible role that he's played over the last couple of years when he's played T20 cricket.
“He’s batted at three and done a really good job, he’s batted in the middle and done a really good job as well and got us some really important runs, so I'm confident that we know what we're going to get every day that he turns up.
“That's also really important in T20 Cricket that when you're building your squad, you know what you're getting from from each individual and what they bring to the table.”
Australia lost two T20 series in West Indies and Bangladesh last winter, while missing several first-choice players, before embarking on a stellar run that saw them lift the trophy in the UAE and Finch believes this series is as much about building depth as it is about winning.
“That's something that we've talked about and in terms of the preparation for the other two World Cups,” said Finch.
“I think that it's not all about results, it's about building depth.
“Results are ideal because that builds confidence and trust in guys' games and and roles within the side, but we've still got a really solid idea of what our squad and what our 11 would look like if the World Cup was tomorrow.
“So it's about making sure that we're building that depth and we've got guys that are informed and guys who are taking their opportunities in international cricket when they get them.”
