'Very hopeful that he'll be back ready to bowl in matches' - Andrew McDonald provides update on Mitchell Marsh ahead of Namibia game

In a team replete with assets and a diverse array of bowlers, each exhibiting unique strengths, one might assume that the presence of an additional bowler would be inconsequential. However, certain cricketers, like Mitchell Marsh, serve as invaluable contingencies due to their exceptional prowess and skill, making them highly advantageous as reliable backups.

In a recent development, Australia's head coach, Andrew McDonald, expressed optimism on the eve of Australia's third T20 World Cup match against Namibia, hopeful of their incumbent skipper's return as a bowler for the Men in Yellow. Although McDonald admitted that the likelihood of Marsh bowling against Namibia was exceedingly slim, he suggested that this probability would increase in their final group-stage game against Scotland. Furthermore, assuming Australia advances to the Super 8, McDonald indicated that the team management and Marsh himself would strategize on how best to utilize his bowling capabilities in the latter stages of the tournament.

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"Very hopeful that he'll be back ready to bowl in matches. I'd say the likelihood of that against Namibia, is very slim, potentially increasing into Scotland, and then I think you should have a clear run at the Super 8s and be able to bowl there. The assumption there is that we qualify and as I said, Namibia first thing, and then we can start to work out what it looks like for the Super 8s and beyond," stated McDonald in the pre-match press conference.

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Although Mitchell Marsh has been utilized sparingly by Australia in the 56 T20Is he has participated in since his debut in October 2011 having bowled in only 25 innings and taken a modest 17 wickets, his commendable economy rate of 7.74 stands out, particularly given his role as the team's sixth bowler on most instances. Bowling an over or two against Namibia and Scotland could significantly bolster the confidence of the 32-year-old cricketer going into the business end of the tournament where his services with the ball might be needed.