Former captain Ricky Ponting has suggested Big Bash League (BBL) 14 final hero Mitchell Owen as a possible like for like replacement for injured Mitchell Marsh in the Australian squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
Marsh, a key figure in the Australia limited-overs set-up, was ruled out of the ICC event last month due to a back injury and national selectors have until next Wednesday (February 12) to finalise his replacement and submit their final squad of 15 to the ICC.
Australia, who had included Marsh in their Champions Trophy preliminary line-up, have not named a replacement yet, but Ponting has thrown a left-field name into the mix in uncapped all-rounder Mitch Owen.
Owen had dominated the recent T20 domestic Big Bash competition in Australia and Ponting thinks the 23-year-old can make the step up to international level quickly if given the chance.
“I am not sure which way they will go, to be honest,” Ponting said on The ICC Review. “I do not know if you guys have been watching the BBL (Big Bash League), but we have had one young kid that’s just emerged out of nowhere, a kid called Mitch Owen, who has opened the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes.”
Owen was a relatively unknown figure at the start of the BBL season but led the run-scoring charts with 452 runs at a sensational strike rate of 203.60, including two centuries with one in a winning cause during the finals against Sydney Thunder.
Owen scored 108 in just 42 balls, with six fours and 11 sixes to chase down 183 set by Sydney with 35 balls left. He also managed to get three scalps with his medium pace and ended up winning a contract with Paarl Royals in the SA20 league.
Ponting has suggested the 23-year-old uncapped Big Bash League (BBL) star as he seems to be the one closest to Marsh in terms of skills, an all-rounder that can bat at the top of the order and also bowl medium pace.
“He is also an all-rounder, probably more suited (as a replacement for Marsh),” said Ponting. “I mean, Mitch Marsh has batted in the top three in one-day cricket, mostly in the last couple of years anyway. Mitch Owen has opened the batting in T20 cricket and opened the batting for Tasmania in the (domestic ODI competition) Marsh Cup this season, which is our 50-over format.”
Ponting still believed it would be a big punt from Australian selectors, but said Owen could stand up to the challenge if given the nod as the former captain doesn’t believe Cameron Green, the obvious choice, is fit enough to be called up to the squad.
“Look, honestly I would be surprised if it is him (Owen), but I think the selectors now know that there is a really high-quality replacement there,” Ponting said before casting doubts over Green’s availability.
“Cameron Green (is) just starting to come back from injury as well. I don’t think he, is going to be fully fit for that tournament either. So there are already a couple of holes in that Australian middle-order that need to be filled pretty quickly,” he concluded.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald, however, has hinted all-rounder Beau Webster, who made his international debut in the Test side in place of Marsh in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, is likely to be the one replacing the injured star in the ODI side.
Australia are also sweating on the fitness of captain Pat Cummins and his pace bowling partner Josh Hazlewood ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be staged in Pakistan and UAE from February 19.
Australia face Sri Lanka in two ODIs before they begin their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign against arch-rivals England in Lahore on February 22, followed by matches against South Africa and Afghanistan at Rawalpindi on February 25 and 28 respectively.
Australia preliminary squad for Champions Trophy
Pat Cummins (captain), Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
