‘Anytime I walk out to bat, I’m s****ing myself’ - Mitchell Marsh opens up on turbulent Test career

Geoff's son and Shaun's brother, Mitchell Marsh was always under pressure as the spotlight was beaming brightly on him since the beginning. However, he failed to live up to the expectations in the early phase of his career. The 33-year-old made his Test debut in 2014 but following a series of inconsistent performances, the all-rounder was dropped from the squad. He eventually made his return and was named Test vice-captain after the Sandpapergate scandal but eventually got dropped within 12 months into it.

Cameron Green’s hamstring injury during the 2023 Ashes was a blessing in disguise for the Australia international. He returned to the playing XI and hit a brilliant century in Headingley and the visitors went on to retain the Ashes. Since then, Marsh won the ODI World Cup, bagged the coveted Allen Border Medal and has been named the T20I captain. 

Speaking on the journey, Marsh noted the importance of the mental side of the game and stated that he is still nervous while walking out to bat. He spoke about the importance of preparations as it gives him confidence to do well. The Perth-born added that previously he failed to let go of failures and he was carrying that into the next game, which might have impacted his performances early in his career.

“The truthful answer is I’m human, and anytime I walk out to bat, I’m s****ing myself like any other bloke. I’ve worked really hard on the mental side of my game, to be able to walk out there and get straight into my pre-ball routines, no matter how nervous I am. For me, it’s all about my preparation. If I prepare as well as I possibly can, I go into a game or an innings really confident, then if I fail, I can look at myself in the mirror and say that I’ve actually done all I can,” Marsh told Fox Cricket.

“Sometimes it’s a good ball, sometimes it’s a mental error. You learn from that, and you move on quickly. probably in the past, I wasn’t able to let those failures go, carrying them into my next innings or my next game, which over a period of time can really weigh you down. I’ve certainly gotten a lot better in that area. It doesn’t guarantee me success, but it certainly allows me to enjoy the game a bit more,” he added.