Marsh, Head, Sangha to miss key matches on Australia's Bangladesh tour
New Delhi, June 8
Australia have been dealt a significant blow ahead of their upcoming white-ball tour of Bangladesh, with three key players unavailable.
Captain Mitch Marsh will miss the ODI leg of the series due to an ankle injury, while spinner Tanveer Sangha has been ruled out of the entire tour with a hamstring complaint.
Star opener Travis Head will also miss the entire tour, with the Aussies granting the hard-hitting left-hander personal leave ahead of a busy upcoming period that includes ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh, South Africa and New Zealand, as per the ICC website.
It means Josh Inglis will once again lead the Aussies through the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh that commences on Tuesday after he captained the side during recent fixtures with Pakistan.
Australia also called up a trio of players for the ODI series against Bangladesh, with Todd Murphy, Ollie Peake and Matt Short all earning a reprieve to replace Marsh, Head and Sangha.
Peake and Short showed some good signs during the recent white-ball fixtures in Pakistan and Australia; selector Tony Dodemaide is confident the duo can perform well if they win selection in Bangladesh.
"Unfortunately, Tanveer Sangha sustained a hamstring injury during the second ODI against Pakistan and will take no further part in the tour," Dodemaide said.
"We were hopeful Mitch Marsh would be available for the Bangladesh ODI series; however, he is still returning to full fitness from an ankle injury. Mitch will join the group in Dhaka and begin preparations for the T20I Series. Travis was initially selected in the ODI and T20I legs of this Bangladesh tour but has subsequently been granted personal leave for both. We look forward to seeing him again for the top-end Test Series against Bangladesh," he added.
"We're excited to welcome Todd Murphy into the ODI squad for the first time, while it made sense for Ollie Peake and Matt Short to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour," he concluded.
Australia squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Josh Inglis (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Liam Scott, Matt Short, Adam Zampa.
Australia squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Adam Zampa.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Australia's depth is really impressive - they're missing their captain, best spinner and an explosive opener but still have a strong squad. Josh Inglis deserves the captaincy, he's been consistent. Makes sense for Head to take rest ahead of WTC final though.
Interesting how Australia manages player workloads so professionally - giving Head personal leave even during a series shows they value mental health. Meanwhile our Indian board sometimes overworks players unnecessarily. Learn something from them.
Marsh being unfit so often is worrying for Australia. He's a great all-rounder but keeps getting injured. Tanveer Sangha would have been dangerous in Bangladesh conditions - those pitches turn square. Matt Short got a golden chance to prove himself.
Feel bad for Bangladesh... they must be disappointed not facing the full Australian squad at home. But it's also an opportunity for their bowlers to exploit a weakened batting lineup. Cricket is such an unpredictable game - let's see what happens!
Travis Head taking personal leave is smart - he's been phenomenal for Australia and needs that rest before big matches. But honestly, the way India and Australia are dominating all formats, these injuries are making the series less competitive for smaller teams like Bangladesh.
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