Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has flown back home in the middle of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 due to personal reasons. However, teammate Marcus Stoinis has revealed that Marsh has said that he’ll be coming back to win the tournament.
Earlier, reports had stated that there was no timeline for the return of Mitchell Marsh, but Marcus Stoinis’ words have given a boost to the Australian team. The Kangaroos are already hurting from injury to Stoinis and concussion to Glenn Maxwell.
Maxwell has been ruled out of the next match which Australia will play against England on November 4.
Marcus Stoinis is expected to pass the fitness test ahead of the England match and he has backed fellow allrounder Cameron Green to earn a recall as well, with both Marsh and Glenn Maxwell unavailable for Saturday's contest in Ahmedabad.
Stoinis also revealed Marsh has vowed to return to help the Aussies claim their sixth men's 50-over title.
"He's got a family issue going on and like we all know, family is very important, the most important (thing) really. He's doing the right thing and he's getting home and he's seeing the people he needs to see. I don't think there's a timeline on when he's coming back, but I'm sure he'll do what he needs to do at home and then get back.
He sent me a message last night saying, 'I'll be home for a little bit and then I'm coming back to win this World Cup' so that speaks to his mindset I think. You miss him off the field – in terms of his energy and his personality around the team as much as we're going to miss him on the field – but you can pretty much see how the team’s going to line up (without him),” Stoinis was quoted by cricket.com.au.
"I joked with him that he just passes the overs back to me now – and ‘thanks for that’. You know that the bases are covered, but we will miss him, and he'll be back soon,” he added.
Australia will not be allowed to bring in a player from outside their squad to temporarily replace Marsh. Tournament rules dictate that squad amendments are irreversible and only an injury (or another reason approved by the ICC) would allow Marsh to come back in.
Stoinis backed Cameron Green to come into the playing XI in Marsh’s absence despite making 16 runs in two innings and bowling just 2 overs.
"I've known him for a long time from being in Western Australia, so you sort of feel like the unofficial big brother. Me and Mitchy feel like that towards him. But he's good … It's just about learning what helps you get through those sorts of times where it's long periods away from home.
It's a big year. It's exciting for him in that he would have been dreaming about big years like this and doing all these tours, being in the IPL a Test tour of India, and an Ashes series. It's just part of being a cricketer now. To an extent it's the quote 'be careful what you wish for' sort of thing and then you go through it and it is a lot. But that's a great thing for him and he'll learn from that,” Stoinis said.
(Cricket.com.au inputs)
