Australia’s men’s team coach, Andrew McDonald, has officially announced their captain for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The highly anticipated global tournament is scheduled to be held in the West Indies and USA in June. Placed in Group B, Australia will kick off their campaign against Oman at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown in Barbados on June 5.
Star all-rounder preferred over Pat Cummins
McDonald has thrown his support behind star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, choosing him over Pat Cummins, who recently led Australia to victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Marsh has been unofficially holding the captaincy since Aaron Finch‘s retirement and has now been backed to lead the team in the forthcoming global event.
Notably, under Marsh’s captaincy, Australia has secured series victories against South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand. Despite other viable options such as Matthew Wade, who temporarily captained in Marsh’s absence, and Pat Cummins, the ODI and Test captain, McDonald believes Marsh’s track record makes him the ideal candidate to lead Australia in the T20 World Cup.
“I think all roads will lead to Mitch, so just got to get that ticked off in certain areas. We’re happy and comfortable with the way he’s been able to operate with that T20 team. We think he’s the leader for the World Cup, and I think that will just be a matter of due course,” stated McDonald, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Also READ: Aaron Finch predicts his Australia XI for T20 World Cup 2024; leaves out Steve Smith
Stellar performances across formats
Marsh has solidified his position as one of Australia’s standout cricketers in recent years. His outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand in 2021, where he scored an unbeaten 77 from 50 balls, remains unforgettable as Australia chased down the Black Caps’ target of 173 to claim victory.
Further, his versatility as an all-format player was once again evident in the recent Test victory against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Marsh played a pivotal role in Australia’s second Test win with a crucial knock of 80 runs and contributed to a game-changing 140-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Alex Carey, who remained unbeaten on 98, securing Australia’s series win.
