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Australia will be without Mitchell Marsh for Saturday’s World Cup clash against England after the all-rounder flew home for personal reasons.
Marsh has travelled to Perth and there is no timeline on whether he will re-join Australia’s World Cup campaign in India. The team is yet to determine whether a replacement player will be required to bolster the squad.
Teammate Marcus Stoinis looms likely as his replacement, alongside Cameron Green.
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Marsh is the second Australian star to be ruled out of the England clash in as many days with Glenn Maxwell also set to miss the match due to a concussion.
Despite his absence, Stoinis confirmed that Marsh was in good spirits, sharing a message of support for the remaining side, planning his return if the Aussies are to go deep into the finals.
“He sent a message last night saying, ‘I’ll be home for a little bit, then I’ll be coming back to win this World Cup.’ That’s his mindset,” Stoinis told reporters in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
“He’s got a family issue going on … he’s doing the right thing.”
Marsh’s absence leaves a major hole at the top of Australia’s batting line-up after a dominant 2023 with the bat in ODIs, where he has averaged 42.80 in 16 matches at a strike rate of 108.99.
His form has continued into the Cricket World Cup where he scored a half-century against Sri Lanka and a career-best 121 against Pakistan.
Australia has risen to third on the World Cup table with four consecutive victories, overtaking New Zealand after the Black Caps’ loss to South Africa overnight.
Their next contest against England (10th with one win in six matches) will take place in Ahmedabad on 7.30pm AEDT on Saturday night.
