Mitchell Marsh is set to make his red-ball return next month as Australia contemplates the possibility or parachuting him into the Test side for the Ashes campaign.
The West Australian, who has been in blistering form in the national white-ball team, has not played a first-class contest since last summer’s Boxing Day Test against India, after which he was dropped for fellow all-rounder Beau Webster.
Watch The Ashes 2025/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1 >
However, national selectors have on multiple occasions declared that Marsh’s Test career wasn’t over, keeping the door open for him to make an appearance for this summer’s Ashes series.
ESPNcricinfo has reported the 34-year-old will make his Sheffield Shield return during Western Australia’s clash with Victoria at the MCG, commencing on December 4. According to the report, there may be a discussion between the national selectors and Western Australia about which position Marsh bats in for the four-day contest, including the potential for him to open at slot in at No. 3.
Marsh has repeatedly downplayed his chances of a Test recall – declaring he would be “six beers deep” on day one of the Ashes opener in Perth – but coach Andrew McDonald recently declared he would be “comfortable” with picking him again if it benefited the team.
While there may not be room for Marsh in the Test side’s middle order, multiple pundits – including former England captain Michael Vaughan – have called for him to be reinvented as an opener that can heap pressure on England’s quicks against the new ball.
However, the right-hander averages 12.57 when batting above No. 6 in Tests, albeit with a small sample size of nine innings.
READ MORE
GREATEST MOMENTS: One man walked out on Waugh’s epic ton
‘THAT JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN’: Ashes conspiracy scorched
‘IT WAS HARDCORE’: Inside Aussies’ fiery Ashes net
STARC’S GABBA CONFESSION
Mitchell Starc has confessed Australia’s cricketers would prefer to start their Test summer at the Gabba fortress.
For the first time since 1982, an Ashes series in Australia won’t start at the Brisbane venue, with Perth Stadium hosting the first Test, as it has done across the last four summers.
England has not won a Test match at the Gabba since 1986, with Starc revealing he and his teammates wanted to get their Ashes campaign underway in Queensland.
“(They) don’t listen to players,” Starc told reporters in Perth on Wednesday.
“We would have liked to start in Brisbane too.”
Last summer, Australia lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener against India at Perth Stadium by 295 runs.
The first Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at Perth Stadium on Friday at 1.20pm AEDT.
