Pak vs Aus: Cameron Green to replace Mitchell Marsh for white-ball leg

Australia’s Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the Pakistan tour with a hip injury, skipper Aaron Finch told reporters on Monday, The two sides will lock horns in three ODIs and one T20I starting Tuesday. 

World champions Australia will be without quite a few key players in the white-ball leg against hosts Pakistan. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and David Warner have been rested. Glenn Maxwell will miss out after getting married last week. Kane Richardson and Steve Smith are also not available due to injuries. 

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That is a total of eight first team players will be missing in action for Australia, including Mitchell Marsh. 

“He’s injured his hip flexor, we think, at training,” Australia captain Aaron Finch told reporters on Monday a day before the first ODI at Lahore.

“We are going to have to wait and see what that looks like but I don’t think he’ll be available for the series based on how he was feeling yesterday.”

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Australia had won the Test series against Pakistan 1-0. 

Marsh was one of the key players in Australia’s T20 World Cup triumph last year. He was expected to bat top of the order and  provide some depth in the pace department against Pakistan. 

Cameron Green will replace Marsh, Finch revealed. The 22-year-old all-rounder as played only one ODI. He scored 155 runs in three innings and also captured three wickets during the Test series against Pakistan. 

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“Cam will play and probably bat in that middle-order role,” Finch said. “We’ve seen he’s a super talented cricketer. He’s someone who has been quite consistent in his test career, his impact with the bat and ball can’t be understated. Really excited for Cam to get that opportunity.”

Aaron Finch will have the 2023 World Cup in mind when his side plays the ODIs. Australia last played a 50-over game against West Indies eight months ago. 

“With every decision we make there is one eye towards the 50-over World Cup and to tie everything back to that is really important,” Finch said. “It’s about trying to build the depth of the squad and build experience in players.”

Lahore will host all the three ODIs on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday before Australia round of its first tour to Pakistan since 1998 with a Twenty20 on April 5.