After being named captain for the forthcoming T20I series against South Africa, all-rounder Mitch Marsh will have the first opportunity to succeed Aaron Finch as Australia’s T20 captain. After a productive 76-match stint as captain that was highlighted by leading Australia to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title in Dubai in 2021, Finch retired from Twenty20 International cricket earlier this year. The selectors have taken their time in choosing his replacement. The talented all-rounder Marsh has been named captain for the T20 portion of Australia’s upcoming white-ball tour of South Africa, giving him the opportunity to compete for the top position early on.
While Marsh has only been named as skipper for the upcoming South Africa tour, chief selector George Bailey believes the 31-year-old is capable of holding the job on a full-time basis.
According to the official website of ICC, George 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 the international level.We look forward to him taking that step in South Africa.”
For the three T20I matches that make up the tour, Marsh will captain a fresh-faced team that includes a number of newcomers. These will be the team’s first 20-over matches since the T20 World Cup last year. The only members of the squad who participated in Australia’s most recent T20I last year are Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Marsh. Aaron Hardie, Matt Short, and Spencer Johnson, an all-rounder, are also in line to make their international debuts during the three-match series.