AUS VS PAK| Mitchell Marsh ruled out of ODI series against Pakistan

 

AUS VS PAK| Mitchell Marsh ruled out of ODI series against Pakistan

Australian all-rounder and T20 hero Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out with injury. Pakistan is looking to qualify for the 50-over World Cup when they start a three-match one-day international series in Lahore from tomorrow.

This series is part of the 13-team ODI Super League. Every match in the super league has 10 points. The top seven teams will automatically qualify for the World Cup next year.

Both teams are very low in the points table of the ODI Super league. Australia and Pakistan are currently in seventh and tenth place respectively. But both teams have played just three of their eight scheduled series.

India has already qualified as a host.

Australia was already without key players David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, and Steven Smith for various reasons and have been further hit by the loss of all-rounder Marsh, their hero when they won the T20 World Cup in November.

All five senior players of the Australian team were part of the team that won the three-match Test series 1-0 last week, on Australia's first tour of Pakistan in 24 years.

Australian team and Skipper Aaron Finch fear that the 30-year-old Marsh may miss the whole ODI series. Mitchell Marsh got hip injury during fielding drills on Sunday

Australia hopes that new players such as Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Ingles, and Ben McDermott will rise to the occasion despite their inexperience.

Skipper Finch and the Australian team can take heart from the fact that Pakistan has not won an ODI series against them since 2002. Australia won eight of the 11 series and the last seven in succession.

Pakistan left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman said Pakistan will get the advantage of the absence of Australian senior players and will try to get all 30 points in these three matches

Pakistan should not take the Aussies lightly because Australia is known for doing well in all situations and all circumstances."

The next two ODIs will be on Thursday and Saturday, also in Lahore.