Mitchell Marsh, the Australian all-rounder and acting captain, will miss the ODI series against Pakistan due to an ankle injury. Cricket Australia has officially confirmed that the 34-year-old will not participate in the series.
Marsh, who played for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, missed the season’s final match to prepare for joining the Australian squad. He will stay in Perth for further evaluation, which will determine if he can play in the upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh, where he was expected to lead the team.
He was set to take over captain duties in place of Pat Cummins, who is absent after playing in the IPL. Cummins returned from a lumbar stress issue that had kept him out of four of the five Ashes Tests and the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Australia did not advance past the group stage.
Marsh had an impressive season in the IPL, scoring 563 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 163.18, including three half-centuries and one century. This marks his second consecutive season with over 500 runs. Throughout the IPL, he played primarily as a batter due to his workload since 2025, proving to be a crucial player for the Super Giants.
Josh Inglis will lead the team in Marsh’s absence. He is the fourth-choice captain after Cummins, Marsh, and Travis Head, who is currently participating in the IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad as they advance to the playoffs. Inglis has previously captained in one ODI against Pakistan in late 2024, and he had a strong IPL season as well, scoring 266 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 186.01, often batting alongside Marsh after arriving late due to his wedding.
Head, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, and Ben Dwarshius will return to the Australian squad for the upcoming white-ball series in Bangladesh following the series against Pakistan. In Marsh’s absence, 19-year-old Ollie Peake may make his debut for Australia.
The first ODI is scheduled for May 30 in Rawalpindi.
Australia squad for ODI series vs Pakistan:
Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (capt), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Matthew Short, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa