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PAK vs AUS, ODI series: Australian cricket team has suffered a body blow ahead of their three-game ODI series against Pakistan that begins on May 30. Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the 50-overs leg as he became the latest senior player to be sidelined from the tour as the ankle injury rendered him unavailable for the series, with the tourists forced to pick a new captain.
PAK vs AUS, ODI series: Who will lead Australia in Mitchell Marsh’s absence in the 50-over series against Pakistan?
With the West Australian no longer part of the series, keeper-batter Josh Inglis will lead the visitors as it will be his second foray into captaincy in international cricket. Pat Cummins remains the regular ODI captain, while Travis Head has also taken the reins but their absence due to the IPL 2026 playoffs leaves Inglis to captain the side. Inglis had captained the national team in November 2024 when Pakistan visited Australia amid the absence of a host of first-choice players. Nevertheless, Cricket Australia announced that Marsh will remain with the squad, with the all-rounder’s availability for the tour of Bangladesh yet to be assessed. A statement of Cricket Australia said:
“Marsh … will remain in Perth for further assessment and treatment until further notice. His availability for the white ball tour of Bangladesh will be determined in due course.”
Aside from Cummins and Head, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have also made themselves unavailable for the series.
How did Mitchell Marsh perform in IPL 2026?
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old was one of the most prolific batters of IPL 2026 and finished as the Lucknow Super Giants’ highest run-getter of the tournament, aggregating 563 runs, headlined by a ton and couple of 90+ scores. Since opening the innings for LSG in IPL 2025, Marsh has scored runs for fun but missed their final match this year. Despite Marsh’s form, the Super Giants have missed the playoffs spot for the second consecutive season.
Australia had notably toured Pakistan earlier this year too but suffered a 3-0 sweep in the T20I series before the T20 World Cup 2026. Hence, Australia, who are the reigning ODI World Champions, will be keen to stamp their authority in the 50-overs format. As for Pakistan, they lost their previous ODI series to Pakistan.
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