It's always nice to have competition: Mitchell Marsh

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been a good performer over the last few season, justifying his all-rounder’s tag in the shorter formats of the game. He is yet to established himself in Tests, though.

Marsh feels that it is great to have competition among all-rounders in the squad and he welcomed the selection of experienced Moises Henriques for the tour of Sri Lanka in July and August. “It’s always nice to have competition in the ranks and we have quite a few good all-rounders at the moment. You always have to perform. Moises [Henriques] has worked extremely hard. He’s been a little unlucky throughout his career with injury, but I’ m sure he’s going to jump at the opportunity to be back on tour with Australia,” Marsh said.

“I get along great with him. While he’s the same sort of player to me, he also has a lot of experience so I’ll be learning a lot off him. It is great to have him back in the squad and he deserves it.”

he has been successful as a Test bowler but he has to improve his batting to get his spot back in the squad. “I think in the shorter formats I have a lot of confidence in both facets of the game and I see myself as a genuine all-rounder.”

Also Read: Moises Henriques named in Australia squad for Sri Lanka tour

“However, in Test cricket, the proof is in the pudding; I haven’t been able to score as many runs as I would have liked. So, I can’t classify myself as a genuine all-rounder in the Test format, but I hope in the next 12 months that will change,” Marsh said ahead of the One-Day International (ODI) tri-series in West Indies, commencing on Friday.

The allrounder also said that his hard work and willingness to train is the reason behind his improved fitness since he has been injury free over the last one year. “As a young kid, I didn’t value fitness training and getting my body in peak condition. But, I think in the past two years, I’ve made better choices off the field and I’ve seen the results. I’ve played a lot more cricket than I ever have. I got through a full season, which is longer than I ever had.”

Also read – Quadrangular series in Australia beckons for India A

“Obviously, you’re always going to have a few niggles going, as hard as we train, but to get through unscathed was a great reward for all the hard work that I’ve done. And the other thing is when you start to feel part of the team, you start to make better choices for your teammates as well so I’ll continue to do that and hopefully, I can stay on the park,” he concluded.