Cricket World Cup: Mitchell Marsh focused on bowling at death in bid to cement World Cup starting spot

MITCHELL Marsh has a great chance to cement a World Cup first team place and says he’s keen to bowl at the death.

Mitch Marsh

FATE has handed boom all-rounder Mitchell Marsh a golden opportunity to cement his place in Australia’s side for the entire World Cup.

Injury to James Faulkner presents Marsh with a start in Saturday’s opener against England at the MCG, and if the young West Australian can fire in front of close to 90,000 people, selectors will be hard pressed to leave him out going forward.

Marsh is a rising star of Australian cricket in all three formats, and if it wasn’t for an untimely hamstring injury of his own during the Test summer, he may have figured somewhere in Darren Lehmann’s first-choice XI.

Faulkner’s brilliant finishing ability has selectors desperate to give him every chance to recover from a side strain, but the reality is it was Marsh not the Tasmanian who was preferred in the one-day series against South Africa back in November.

Marsh salutes the crowd after reaching a half century against India.

Lehmann says he’s set on his best XI, but Marsh is one man with the ability to change the coach’s mind.

Marsh has produced some brilliant batting displays in his short career, highlighted by the way he took Proteas superstar Dale Steyn to school in Zimbabwe last August.

With Faulkner not expected to be available to bowl until at least the third match of the Cup, Marsh has a window to shine.

If he can grasp that chance, there’s no reason why Marsh would the man forced to make way should Faulkner return for the finals.

“I’m pretty confident, I’d obviously like to fill that role,” said Marsh in Melbourne on Monday.

“It’s going to be fun and if I get a bit of an opportunity hopefully I can take it.”

Mitchell Marsh bowls against India on Sunday.

With fellow all-rounders Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell also in the side, Marsh knows to truly grasp his opportunity, he’ll need to improve his bowling.

While Marsh has proven he’s up to batting at No. 3, with the ball he’s underwhelmed and averages 48 in his 14 ODI matches for Australia.

In Faulkner’s absence, either Marsh or Watson will need to pick up the slack against England — and the big 23-year-old from Perth is sticking his hand up to bowl the pressure overs.

“I think for me it’s just bowling more and getting that experience in matches,” he said.

“Obviously I’d like to keep working on my death bowling and keep being an option at the death. I think that’s really important to have as many options as we can and for me it’s just about improving all facets so I’m really looking forward to that and hopefully I can just keep progressing.

“Losing James means one of the all rounders have to bowl a few more overs so I’m hoping that’s me but I guess that’s up to the selectors.”

Mitchell Marsh believes he can be a leading man in the World Cup campaign.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Michael Clarke is set to take on the UAE in a practice match at the MCG on Tuesday — and is expected to field for the full 50 overs.

Clarke is unlikely to play in Saturday night’s opener, but is powering towards meeting his deadline of turning out next week against Bangladesh in Brisbane.

Marsh, who has had his fair share of hamstring dramas, offered his help to Clarke, but admits his skipper is going so strong he doesn’t need any assistance.

If Marsh knows anything about what Clarke was going through in his recovery — it’s that he would have driven by anger.

“It becomes quite boring and you just get angry I guess. That’s what I did anyway,” said Marsh.

“It’s good to have him back around the group — he’s enjoyed being around the squad as well.

“I did offer him my hamstrings but he quietly rejected.

“He’s such a key player for us. He’s our captain so it will be great to get him back.”