T20 World Cup 2024: "I’m finally..." - Mitchell Marsh provides an update on his availability for the ICC event

Australia T20I captain Mitchell Marsh has provided an update about his fitness ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA next month. Mitchell Marsh stated that he had additional time for recovery at home after being ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.

Mitchell Marsh sustained a hamstring injury while playing for the Delhi Capitals (DC) against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The all-rounder had to leave the tournament prematurely due to an injury. Since then, Marsh has been sidelined from all cricket and is likely to make a comeback in the upcoming World Cup.

The Mitchell Marsh-led team will engage in warm-up matches against Namibia and the West Indies before the World Cup. These practice matches are scheduled for May 28 and May 30 at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. However, they will be without several key players due to their IPL 2024 commitments.

It's Been Progressively Slow - Mitchell Marsh

Speaking ahead of Australia's warm-up match against Namibia, Mitchell Marsh stated that his recovery from the hamstring injury had been progressively slow. Marsh emphasized the extended recovery time required for tendon injuries.

“It’s been progressively slow, but I’m finally getting there now and looking forward to getting stuck into the tournament,” Marsh told Cricket Australia.

“Initially we thought it was a three-weeker, but with tendons, they can take a little bit longer and you’ve sort of got to go on feel. Once I was ruled out of the IPL, we’ve certainly taken our time to get right. And I feel lucky that I’ve had that bit of extra time, a little bit of time at home to refresh,” Marsh added.

We'll Figure It Out From There - Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh said that the team wanted players who were at the IPL to rest a couple of days at home and spend time with their families before the tournament. Marsh emphasized the importance of using the practice game effectively for the available players.

"Guys have been at the IPL and they have been playing a lot of cricket, so we've prioritised giving them a couple of days at home to see their family, refresh and play the long game for this tournament," Marsh further added.

"We're going to be undermanned a little bit (against Namibia), but it is a practice game. And the guys that need to play will play as much as they can and we'll figure it out from there," he concluded.

Opener Travis Head and fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc will not join the team until later in the week after their participation in the IPL final. These players will return home for some rest before joining their teammates. Traveling reserves Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short have also not yet arrived.

Australia is placed in Group B along with Oman, England, Namibia, and Scotland. The Men in Yellow will commence their campaign against Oman on June 5 in Barbados. They will take on England at the same venue on June 8. They will face Namibia and Scotland in their last two group games on June 11 and 15.