From ‘most of Australia hates me’ to T20 World Cup captain, Mitch Marsh remains the same old Bison

Report from Trinidad and Tobago

“Most of Australia hates me.”

Nearly five years ago, after taking his first Test five-wicket haul in the fifth Ashes Test of 2019, Mitchell Marsh’s dry quip at a media conference when asked about his relationship with the country’s cricket-loving public spoke volumes.

An all-rounder with immense talent but frustratingly limited returns at Test level, Marsh was derided for at one point having the lowest batting average of any long-term number six in Test history; it was that lack of runs that cost him his place as vice-captain at the end of 2018 as the team rebuilt from March’s ‘Sandpapergate’ saga.

Even those heroics at The Oval all those years ago would prove short-lived: it would be another four years before Marsh was selected for another Test, although his white-ball shares continued to rise in between, most famously with his player of the match. performance during Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup triumph.

That next Test came at Headingley in 2023, when Marsh was recalled for the injured Cameron Green and promptly knocked down a century so spectacular that one of Australian cricket’s greatest ever prodigies had to wait his turn for another spot was released after the retirement of David Warner. go back inside.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Western Australian world has changed more dramatically than he could ever have imagined: from a triumphant summer capped by a shock Allan Border Medal to one of the most popular winners of the prestigious award ever; right up to captaining the T20 team on the way to the World Cup.

Always humble, Marsh is quick to praise others for making the transition to permanent captaincy a smooth one: from his familiarity with his teammates, many of whom, like him, are players of all formats, to the presence of Test captain Pat Cummins alongside him in the first-choice XI.

“Being really comfortable with who I am as a person, and along the way learning something about leadership from other people around me, especially Patty (is key),” Marsh said on a beach day in Trinidad after the World Cup – a venue to to fit the character if ever there was one.

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“One of the most important things is staying true to yourself as a person, and the experience that we have, the relationships that I have with this group, it’s a very easy group to lead. We’re going to have fun.

“I am fortunate to have someone like Patty at my side as a leader within this group. We have so many great leaders and experience that we all lean on each other. Patty is a wonderful friend.

“Going back to the Under-19 World Cup with Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood, which is 14-15 years ago now – we have a wealth of experience in playing a lot of cricket together, and I think that has been a hallmark of our success in the past period.”

It is far from Marsh’s first taste of captaincy. He has been a long-time captain of Western Australian cricket, from the Sheffield Shield to the BBL’s Perth Scorchers, and has also managed Australia in the past.

But the story he tells of his first attempt to claim a leadership position for the national team is classic Marsh: a funny story that also speaks volumes about the esteem in which he was held by many in Australian cricket.

“I applied for the role of vice-captain years ago and during my speech to the board, Greg Chappell fell asleep,” Marsh laughed.

“So that went beautifully!”

Few cricketers in Australia speak ill of their fellow players, but there’s still something about the way Marsh’s teammates react when his name comes into the conversation: Ashton Agar, a long-time Marsh teammate for WA and the Perth Scorchers, as well as in the national limited-overs teams, smiles wryly when asked to describe his captaincy, while Nathan Ellis beams positively when asked whether the role has changed him in the slightest.

“Mitch is himself, and I think that’s what people really like. There is no nonsense about him at all,” is Agar’s summary of his good friend.

“He is confident in who he is, he is confident in his abilities and his competence as a captain, his tactical knowledge. And he has done very well in the matches he has officiated so far.

“He is simply the life of the team: the boys love him, he provides a nice, calm environment where people can be themselves and have fun. I guess that’s all you can ask for.”

Ellis’ review is also full of praise, because, in his own words, he was ‘taken under the wing’ of the burly all-rounder during his young international career.

“Mitch has been really great to me,” he said.

“He’s a great guy, he’s well-liked by the Australian team. He has fourteen guys in the team who will run through a wall for him.”

Marsh is the perfect captain for this new era in Australian cricket. With the departure of Justin Langer as coach in early 2022, all teams are taking a more relaxed and accommodating attitude towards themselves and their individual preparation, the success of which is manifesting in that a tournament win in the Caribbean would make this the first team ever to would simultaneously be a T20 and ODI World Cup and World Test Championship title holder.

This would cement Marsh’s new legacy as one of Australian cricket’s most beloved figures and complete an arc that began at that September 2019 press conference.

“It’s been an incredible few years,” Marsh said of his stunning 12 months across all formats.

“I think playing in this Australian team definitely helps. I had a lot of fun and am very grateful for the support I have received over the past period.”