MARSH WANTS ODI GIG
MITCH Marsh has been dubbed the world’s most powerful hitter as Australia’s Twenty20 hero targets a place in the top order of both whiteball line-ups.
Marsh, 31, suspected his shock promotion to No.3 last July was simply due to David Warner, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell skipping the winter tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh.
But captain Aaron Finch revealed the move, that was validated as a masterstroke when Marsh delivered Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup title with a life-changing 77 not-out in November’s final, was orchestrated to take down the West Indies’ fast bowling cartel.
“We knew against the West Indies they were going to come predominantly pace-heavy, particularly at the start of an innings,” Finch told News Corp.
“Mitch is one of the best players of fast bowling in the world. It was about trying to give him a little bit of extra time, because we know how damaging he can be when he gets a few balls under his belt.”
In 14 games at No.3 last year Marsh averaged 45.8, striking at 133. He had batted above No.6 only twice before that in his career.
With the likes of Andre Russell, Fabian Allen and Fidel Edwards to thank for the T20 rise, Marsh wants to be the top dog in 50-over cricket as well.
“Hopefully I can keep batting No.3 for Australia in T20s for a long period now,” Marsh said.
“I’m certainly hopeful of an opportunity up the top in one-day cricket. We’ll see what happens.”
Standing in the way at No.3 in the ODI line-up is Steve Smith, and Finch pointed out the world’s best Test batsman crunched twin 60ball centuries against India at the SCG last summer.
But with 34 matches until the 2023 World Cup in India Finch said there was time to tinker and explore multiple options.
Finch said Marsh’s “ultraaggrssive” starts were crucial to Australia’s gameplan in Dubai.
“He’s as powerful as anyone in the game,” Finch said.
“There’s always a little bit of envy when Mitch bats, especially against the quicks in the nets.”
But Marsh – nicknamed “Bison” – said his brutal hitting power wasn’t born out of bursting muscles.
“I haven’t lifted an upper body weight in the gym for about eight years now. Often it’s just timing, it’s practice,” he said.
“Similar to professional golfers, they don’t necessarily swing the club overly hard. It’s just repetition, practice – that’s what I live for. To get better and to groove my swing.
“In T20 cricket most boundaries are only 75m long and I don’t necessarily train to hit them 100m, but sometimes it’s just the way it happens.”