Mitchell Marsh will make his first BBL appearance in nearly three years after joining Perth Scorchers’ squad for their upcoming match against Melbourne Renegades at Optus Stadium. Dropped from Australia’s final Test against India, Marsh returned to Perth following Australia’s series-clinching win at the SCG. If the Sri Lanka tour doesn’t select him, he could play a longer stint in the BBL, with the squad announcement expected later this week.
Jhye Richardson, who was part of the Test squad for the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar series, is also available for the Scorchers. The teams will confirm the availability of other Test players for the BBL in the coming days. However, Travis Head has ruled himself out of Adelaide Strikers’ matches, citing fatigue. “I’m wrecked,” Head told Fox Cricket. “We’ve got 10 or 12 days off before the Sri Lanka tour, and I’m using every bit of it.”
Marsh last featured in the BBL in January 2022 before opting for ankle surgery to improve his Test chances. His efforts paid off as he made a successful Test return during the 2023 Ashes, where he scored a century at Headingley. However, a lean series against India cost him his spot in the final Test, making him available for Scorchers.
Other Test players who could join their respective BBL teams include Steven Smith (Sydney Sixers), Marnus Labuschagne (Brisbane Heat), Usman Khawaja (Brisbane Heat), Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), Nathan Lyon (Melbourne Renegades), and Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers). Melbourne Stars’ Scott Boland may rest after his recent workload.
The Sri Lanka tour, beginning with a training camp in Dubai, is expected to include most of these players. Players involved in the BBL finals will miss those matches if selected for the tour.
Leave a Reply