Mitchell Marsh out of Pakistan ODIs with ankle injury

Australian All-Rounder Mitchell Marsh Out of ODI Series Against Pakistan

Australian all-rounder and stand-in skipper, Mitchell Marsh, has been ruled out of the ODI series against Pakistan due to an ankle injury. This was confirmed by an official statement from Cricket Australia, which revealed that the 34-year-old will miss the entire series. Marsh, who is currently playing for the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL), missed the final game of the season as he was set to join the Australian squad early.

Marsh is now expected to remain in Perth for further assessment, with his participation in the subsequent white-ball series against Bangladesh still to be determined. He was previously set to lead the side in the absence of skipper Pat Cummins, who is sitting out the series after his participation in the IPL. Cummins had returned to the tournament after recovering from a lumbar stress issue, which had seen him miss four of the five Ashes Tests in the summer and the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Australia were eliminated in the group stages.

A Strong Season in the IPL

Marsh has had a fantastic season in the IPL, despite the Lucknow Super Giants finishing last in the season. He scored 563 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 163.18. His performances included three half-centuries and one century, marking a second successive 500-plus run season. Since 2025, Marsh has been playing as a pure batter due to workload concerns and has been one of the Super Giants’ mainstays with the bat.

Leadership Shifts in the Squad

The statement also confirmed that Josh Inglis will take over as the leader of the side in Marsh’s absence. Inglis is the fourth-choice skipper, following Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, and Travis Head. Head, along with Cummins, is currently at the IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad as they made their way to the playoffs. Inglis previously took over the side for one game in an ODI against Pakistan in late 2024. He also had a strong IPL season, scoring 266 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 186.01, slotting in at the top of the order with Marsh after joining the season late due to his wedding.

Squad Changes and Potential Debut

Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, and Ben Dwarshius will return to Australia’s squad for the white-ball series in Bangladesh, which follows the series in Pakistan. In Marsh’s absence, 19-year-old starlet Ollie Peake could make his debut in yellow.