Mitchell Marsh to Delay Bowling Debut in T20 World Cup

Mitchell Marsh, Australia's captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, has revealed that he will not be bowling in the initial stages of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. However, he remains hopeful of being able to contribute with the ball later on.

Marsh, who missed the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to the injury, has had a slower recovery than anticipated. He did not bowl in Australia's warm-up matches against Namibia and West Indies.

"I won't be bowling early on in the tournament," Marsh said. "I hope I won't bowl late in the tournament either. But I'll progress that slowly over the next 10-12 days and hopefully be available for them at the back end of the tournament."

Australia's preparations for the World Cup have been hampered by the late arrival of several players who were involved in the IPL playoffs. However, Marsh believes that the players' time with their families was important.

"We really value a bit of family time," he said. "The guys have obviously been at the IPL, which I think is great preparation for a World Cup. And then, yeah, just the value of seeing their families and getting them in their own bed for one or two nights is really important."

Marsh also expressed excitement about the expanded format of the T20 World Cup, which now includes 20 teams.

"I think it certainly feels like a World Cup," he said. "I got presented a Ugandan playing shirt the other day in our team hotel and that was a really special moment. It's not just about the cricket throughout these World Cups, it's about opportunity and teams have earned the right to be here."

However, Marsh declined to comment on whether there should have been a longer break between the end of the IPL and the start of the T20 World Cup.

"I don't really have an answer to that question and I don't make those decisions," he said. "As a group, we're here to win. Things may look a little bit disjointed at the beginning, but that's the nature of international cricket these days."

Tags: #MitchellMarsh, #T20WorldCup, #Australia, #Cricket, #Injury