Australia’s stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the ODI series against Pakistan because of an ankle injury. His participation in the upcoming Bangladesh tour is also uncertain, leaving Australia short on senior players and without a clear leader for the series.
Marsh was supposed to lead the team in place of regular captain Pat Cummins, but he did not travel with the squad to Pakistan. He had already missed Lucknow Super Giants’ final IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings after returning to Australia earlier, following a game against Rajasthan Royals.
Josh Inglis captaincy experience
In Marsh’s absence, wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is expected to take over as captain. Inglis has limited experience in leadership at the international level, but he has captained Australia before in one ODI and three T20Is against Pakistan in 2024. Alex Carey is also an option, as he has previously led the side during an ODI series in the Caribbean in 2021.
Notable Omissions from Australia's ODI squad
Australia are already missing several key players, including Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, mostly because of IPL commitments and workload management. With Marsh and Head both out, Australia have also lost their usual opening pair, which forces the team to try new combinations at the top.
Matt Short was expected to open with Marsh, but now the team will need a new partner. Selectors will also be looking to settle the middle order as they prepare for next year’s World Cup.
Marsh had been in strong form before his injury. He was one of the top performers in IPL 2026, finishing among the top run-scorers with a strike rate above 160, including three big scores of over 90 in his last four innings.
Australia yet to announce Marsh's replacement
Australia have not named a replacement yet, but Cooper Connolly could come into the squad. The team is also expected to experiment with roles during the Pakistan and Bangladesh tours, including giving Cameron Green a more permanent middle-order position as they look for a long-term replacement for Glenn Maxwell in ODIs.
Australia squad for ODIs in Pakistan
Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis (capt), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Ollie Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Matthew Short, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa.