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The appointment of Mitchell Marsh as the captain of Australia’s T20I team for the tour of South Africa on Monday (August 7) came as a big surprise to many cricket enthusiasts. The all-rounder replaced the retired Aussie skipper Aaron Finch and will lead the national side for the first time.
It is worth mentioning that the Aussies were without a captain in the shortest format of the game since Finch’s retirement and were desperately looking for a new skipper for a long time. Marsh has come out as a talented all-format player for Australia in recent times.
The Australian management trusting Marsh over other experienced options like Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and Travis Head further signifies their thinking of considering Marsh for a long run with the team. The right-handed batter is a promising all-format player and has impressed with his talent on many occasions.
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Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Selector George Bailey lauded Marsh for his skills after being appointed captain in the shortest format and hinted towards grooming Marsh as a future leader for Australia.
“Mitch has long been a senior player within the white ball structure, with this an opportunity for him to add to his leadership skills at international level. We look forward to him taking that step in South Africa,” said Bailey.
On that note, let’s have a look at some possible reasons behind Marsh’s appointment as Australia’s new T20I captain:
1) Leadership experience in the domestic circuit and BBL
Having previously captained Perth Scorchers and Western Australia, Marsh has a decent leadership experience behind him. The all-rounder knows how to handle pressure in crunch moments of the game. He even led Western Australia to the One-Day Cup title in 2017. Marsh has also captained Australia’s Under-19 World Cup team.
2) Senior team member and an all-format player
Marsh has been part of Australia’s white-ball structure for quite some time. He was an integral part of Australia’s 2021 T20I World Cup triumph and has been a consistent member of the Australian team since 2020.
Apart from this, Marsh also left his mark in ODI and Test formats. Being an all-format player, he understands the game well and has had the opportunity to observe different Aussie veteran cricketers. He shares a great bond with senior team members and knows how to get the best out of youngsters as a leader. This further makes him a perfect candidate for the T20I captain’s role.
3) An all-rounder capable of handling pressure situations
Marsh can contribute to the game with both bat and ball. He is a great all-rounder and can prove to be a game-changer for the team. The Aussie cricketer understands the game from both perspectives and knows when to deploy which player and against whom. He can handle pressure calmly and has experience of playing in prestigious tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Big Bash League (BBL) etc.
