The Ashes 2021-22: George Bailey Says Mitchell Marsh's Excellent T20 World Cup Outing Doesn't Guarantee Him A Spot In The Ashes Squad

Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey believes that all-rounder, Mitchell Marsh, isn’t guaranteed a place in the Ashes squad just because of his heroics in the recently concluded 2021 T20 World Cup.

Marsh was instrumental in helping the Aussies secure their first-ever T20 World Cup title on Sunday after defeating New Zealand in the summit clash in Dubai. This form does not guarantee that Marsh will be effective in Tests with the Ashes coming up, according to Bailey.

“They’re (T20s and Tests) about as far removed, we joke internally that they’re different sports in many respects. There’s not much flow on, (but) you love to see players perform well internationally because you know it gives them great confidence going forward, and there’s no better time to pick someone than when they are up and about and confident. I don’t think necessarily that individual form in one format flows into another, and I don’t necessarily think that winning the T20 World Cup gives us any great advantage heading into the Ashes.“

“We’re 12 hours since he played the innings of his life in T20 (World Cup), there will be lots of time to talk Ashes going forward. I think it’s really important that we celebrate the tournament and the role he’s played in that team, and celebrate the fact that he’s an Australian hero for a day and he’s very much a catalyst behind us holding the trophy above our heads. As I said, I think the formats are so completely different,” Bailey was quoted as saying to SEN’s Dwayne’s World on Monday.

“He has played Test cricket in the past so we know he’s capable of it” – George Bailey

George Bailey further added that the 30-year-old Marsh has shown he’s capable of playing in the longest format of the game. Marsh’s previous Test was back in 2019 when he took a five-wicket haul at the Oval against the England side.

“We know Mitch is a very, very good player and he’s played Test cricket in the past, so we know he’s capable of it. What I can say about Mitch is that we have full confidence that the next two, three, and hopefully four years are going to be the best cricketing years of his career, so hopefully, we get to see him playing all three formats for Australia,” Bailey added.

In all, Marsh has played 32 Tests on a sporadic basis and hasn’t done anything much to warrant a place in the side for the Ashes. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if he does make the Australian squad for the big series.

Also Read – ICC T20 World Cup 2021: It Will Be A Bit Hard Mentally For New Zealand: Dinesh Karthik