Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh has been declared fit for the opening T20 World Cup but will not bowl, coach Andrew McDonald has said.
The all-rounder headed home from the Indian Premier League with a hamstring injury in April and returned for only two practice matches in Trinidad this week.
However, he did not play a full innings in either match and his timetable for his return to bowling is still unclear.
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“For Mitch, (the warm-up game) was about seeing where his body is,” McDonald told cricket.com.au in comments posted late on Friday.
“He bowled more overs and was able to move more freely. So he’s building some confidence there. It looks like everything is ready for the first match.
“The second part is when bowling comes back online. It won’t be the first game.” Marsh, who was officially appointed T20 skipper last month to replace the retired Aaron Finch, is expected to feature limited minutes in Australia’s World Cup opener against Oman in Barbados on June 6.
He hit 18 from 14 balls against Namibia and 4 from 4 against West Indies in the two warm-up matches.
His recovery is a major concern for the 15-man squad as they look to add a T20 crown to their one-day and Test world titles.
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Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green all missed the warm-up match after featuring in the IPL final and will link up with the team in Barbados.
“I think we have plenty of time to get that group together,” McDonald said.
“It’s a familiar group, we’ve played together a lot. Their preparation might have looked different if they hadn’t played together as much.
“It will end up being the XI for the game and the balance we want. “We have a lot of options,” he added.
