Marsh Ruled Out of Pakistan Series, Inglis to Lead Australia

Stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the ODI series against Pakistan due to an ankle injury. As a result, Australia will travel to Pakistan with a weakened squad, with Josh Inglis set to captain the side. Pat Cummins and Travis Head are also unavailable for the tour because of their involvement in the IPL playoffs.

Marsh did not feature in Lucknow Super Giants’ final IPL match against Punjab Kings on Saturday. He had returned to Australia after the match against Rajasthan Royals on May 19. Marsh was expected to lead Australia in the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which begins on May 30, while most members of the squad have already arrived in Rawalpindi.

However, Marsh did not travel to Pakistan because of his ankle problem. Given his history of similar injuries, he has been ruled out of the entire Pakistan series. His availability for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, starting on June 9 in Mirpur, and the subsequent T20I series beginning on June 17 also remains uncertain.

In Marsh’s absence, Inglis will become Australia’s fourth-choice ODI captain. With regular captain Pat Cummins and Test vice-captain Travis Head unavailable, the responsibility has fallen on him. Inglis previously captained Australia in one ODI and three T20Is against Pakistan in November 2024. If Inglis misses any matches, Alex Carey is another leadership option, having captained Australia in three ODIs during the 2021 Caribbean tour.

Australia will also be without Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the Pakistan tour. Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis were initially left out of the squad because they were expected to feature in the IPL playoffs. However, after their team failed to qualify, Connolly could now be flown to Pakistan.

Connolly, Bartlett, Dwarshuis and Travis Head have all been named in Australia’s squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh.

Marsh was in excellent form towards the end of the IPL season. In his last four innings, he scored 111, 10, 90 and 96 runs. He finished as the tournament’s seventh-highest run scorer, striking at 163.18, and also ranked among the top six-hitters.

Looking ahead to next year’s World Cup, Marsh and Travis Head are considered Australia’s first-choice opening pair. In Head’s absence, Matt Short was expected to open alongside Marsh in Pakistan. Now, selectors must find another stand-in opener for the series.

Australia are also eager to settle their middle-order combinations before the World Cup. There is a possibility that Alex Carey could be promoted to open the batting, which may allow 19-year-old Ollie Peake to make his debut in the middle order.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said the team wants to try allrounder Cameron Green further down the batting order during the Pakistan and Bangladesh series, as they continue searching for a long-term replacement for Glenn Maxwell in the ODI setup.

Australia ODI Squad:

Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (captain), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Matthew Short, Billy Stanlake and Adam Zampa.