All-rounder Mitch Marsh has been given the opportunity to become the new T20 captain of Australia. He has been announced as the skipper for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. Aaron Finch, the former T20 captain, retired earlier this year, and it took time for selectors to decide on his replacement, according to ICC reports.
Mitch Marsh will have the first chance to showcase his leadership skills in the T20 format during Australia’s white-ball tour of South Africa, starting later this month. While he has been named captain for this particular tour, chief selector George Bailey believes the 31-year-old is capable of holding the captaincy on a full-time basis.
Bailey said, “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.”
The T20 squad for the South Africa tour will feature several new faces, as selectors have named a fresh lineup for the three-match T20I series. Players like all-rounder Aaron Hardie, opening batter Matt Short, and left-arm quick Spencer Johnson are in line to make their international debut. Among the squad members, only Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Marsh were part of Australia’s most recent T20I matches in the last year.
Mitch Marsh has previous experience in captaincy, having led Australia to success at the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2010. He has also captained his state, Western Australia, at the domestic level.
The Australia T20 squad for the South Africa tour includes: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
The tour schedule is as follows:
- First T20I: August 30: Durban
- Second T20I: September 1: Durban
- Third T20I: September 3: Durban
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