COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Captain Mitch Marsh became the latest to be added to Australia’s injury list just ahead of their first game of the Twenty20 World Cup game against Ireland on Wednesday.
Marsh was ruled out of the game as a result of being hit in the groin in practice earlier in the week and Cricket Australia issued a statement just before the game saying scans showed internal testicular bleeding. Travis Head leads Australia in the match.
He joins fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood who had been already ruled out of the tournament, and batter Tim David was rested to fully recover from an injury in hope of being called up later in the competition.
Hazlewood, who suffered a hamstring injury during a domestic match, was expected to be fit in time to take part in the Super Eights stage but selectors withdrew him saying that he will need more recovery time and it will be risky to accelerate his rehabilitation program.
No replacement has been named for Hazlewood but fast bowler Sean Abbott is a replacement option, according to the International Cricket Council.
Steve Smith, who played his last Twenty20 international two years ago, has been called up to travel to Sri Lanka to acclimatize and be prepared to step into the side if required, the ICC said.
Australia is the latest starter in the World Cup playing their first game Wednesday in Group B. The 2022 champion play their first match on the fifth day as the 14th match of the 20-nation tournament.
“I mean probably some of the teams we haven’t played much against but we’ve had a great … we’ve sort of been focusing on our own preparation it’s been nice to have a longer lead in,” Marsh told reporters on eve of the match.
“Certain guys were not in Pakistan and getting the group together for a week. So yeah, now it’s here, we’re on the eve of the World Cup for us and we’re looking forward to it.”
Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka are placed first and second respectively in Group B while Ireland and Oman are third and fourth having lost the only games they have played.
Australia’s preparations for the tournament have also not been ideal losing 3-0 to Pakistan in a Twenty20 series.
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