The IPL Final-bound Australian players will head home for some time off before flying to the Caribbean and the USA for the 2024 T20 World Cup starting June 2. With at least five of the first-team players, including Travis Head, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc – all those who played the IPL 2024 final on Sunday (May 26) and RCB’s duo of Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell already home, Australia would be short of the players for their two warm-up games for the marquee event.

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Australia will face Namibia on Tuesday (May 28) and West Indies (May 30) on Thursday before taking on Oman for their first game on June 5. Captain Mitchell Marsh, who is not cleared to bowl for some time due to his hamstring injury that cut short his IPL stint with Delhi Capitals this season, will also be without Marcus Stoinis, who is yet to travel to the West Indies.

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“It’s important to be flexible,” Marsh told cricket.com.au. 

“Guys have been at the IPL. They’ve been playing a lot of cricket, so we’ve prioritized giving them a couple of days at home, see their family, refresh and play the long game for this tournament. We’ll get to our 15 eventually, but it’s really important that we give them a break, even if it’s [just] a couple of days at home,” he added.

With Australia having nine first-team players available for selection for the two warm-up games, they might have to call backroom staff members to come and take the field. Among those would be former batsman Brad Hodge, head coach Andrew McDonald, national selector George Bailey and assistant coach Andre Borovec.

While New Zealander Daniel Vettori – who also was the head coach of SunRisers Hyderabad in the IPL, is part of the coaching staff (as another assistant coach), he cannot take the field as he does not belong from the country involved in the game.

Marsh nearing full fitness

Newly-appointed T20I captain Marsh admitted he is nearing full fitness, vowing to stick around throughout the 20-team tournament ending on June 29.

“I’m just ticking off the last few things I need to tick off to be fit and available,” he said. “All went well today. It’s been progressively slow but finally getting there now and looking forward to getting stuck into the tournament.

“Initially, we thought it was a three-weeker, but with tendons, they can take a little bit longer, and you sort of have to go on feel. 

“Once I was ruled out of the IPL, we’ve certainly taken our time to get it right, and I feel lucky I’ve had that bit of extra time, a little bit of time at home to refresh and like all the others who have arrived today I’m raring to go,” he added.

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