Mitch Marsh has conceded his days as a national Test all-rounder may be over due to the rise of Cameron Green.
Marsh, 30, has played 32 Tests in the whites for a batting average of 25 and a bowling average of 38.
They’re hardly numbers likely to secure anyone their spot in the side, let alone for Marsh, who is now competing against fellow West Australian Green for a spot in the national XI.
Green has been a revelation for Australia since debuting against India in 2020, impressing with both the ball and bat in recent Tests.
The 22-year-old all but guaranteed his spot for the near future with six wickets and two 50s in the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests, and Marsh admitted he’d now struggle to break into the team as an all-rounder.
“I probably need Cameron Green to fall off the face of the earth,” Marsh laughed on SEN WA’s Gilly and Goss.
“He is an outstanding young player and an outstanding young man who I’ll do everything in my power to help become a great Australian all-rounder.”
Marsh was the hero in Australia’s breakthrough win of the T20 World Cup late last year, knocking 77 off 50 in a Man of the Match performance.
Basking in the aftermath, there were calls to return him to the Test side, with the idea that Marsh could bring his T20 form to the longer format.
Chairman of selectors George Bailey hosed down those suggestions but didn’t shut the door on Marsh returning to the Test side down the track.
Marsh impressed in the Australia A game during the Ashes with the bat, and that’s the aspect of his game he plans to focus on to make it back to Australian representation.
“I still see there’s definitely an opportunity for me to have one more crack, probably more so as a batsman now,” he continued.
“For me to get back in the actual Test team, it’s really only through injury or COVID at the moment with the Pakistan tour.
“Moving forward, it’s just whatever opportunity I get in red-ball cricket, playing Shield cricket for WA, just making sure I continue to score runs, whatever format it is, be as consistent as I can.
“Guys like Usman Khawaja, even Moises Henriques, they’re 34, 35-years-old but they’re still pushing for selection.
“That’s great motivation for guys like me, I’m only 30 years of age and there’s been a lot of guys who have only just started playing for Australian then and gone on to have great careers.
“I’m certainly hopeful that I’ll get one more opportunity at Test level, I’ve worked really hard on just preparing well and enjoying the game for what it is has really helped me over the past 12 months
“So I’ll just keep doing that and hopefully the opportunity arises at some stage.”
WA’s Sheffield Shield season has been curtailed by border closures, meaning the side – and Marsh – have not been able to play red-ball cricket in recent weeks.
New South Wales are scheduled to host WA on March 15, however the visitors would likely only make the trip if border restrictions had been scrapped beforehand.
Marsh was not picked for Australia's tour of Pakistan, to begin next month.