Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has suggested that selectors take a bold step and include 23-year-old uncapped Big Bash League (BBL) sensation Mitch Owen in Australia’s ICC Champions Trophy squad as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh.
Marsh, a crucial figure in Australia’s limited-overs setup, was ruled out last month due to a back injury, leaving the national selectors with a deadline until February 12 to finalize his replacement. While Australia had originally included Marsh in their preliminary squad, they have yet to announce his successor. Ponting, however, has proposed an unexpected name—Mitch Owen, who recently delivered a breakout season in the BBL.
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Owen was a relatively unknown player at the beginning of the BBL season but finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with 452 runs at a staggering strike rate of 203.60. His performances included two sensational centuries, one of which came in the finals against Sydney Thunder, where he smashed 108 off just 42 balls, hitting six fours and 11 sixes to chase down 183 with 35 balls to spare. Adding to his all-round ability, Owen also took three wickets with his medium pace, earning a contract with the Paarl Royals in the SA20 league.
Ponting, speaking on The ICC Review, highlighted Owen’s ability to fill Marsh’s role effectively. He pointed out that Marsh had frequently batted in the top three in recent years, while Owen has opened the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes in T20 cricket and for Tasmania in the domestic one-day Marsh Cup. This versatility, according to Ponting, makes him a viable replacement for Marsh.
“I’m not sure which way they will go, to be honest,” Ponting said. “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. He is also an all-rounder, probably more suited as a replacement for Marsh.”
Despite his confidence in Owen’s talent, Ponting admitted that selecting him would be a bold call. “Honestly, I would be surprised if it is him, but I think the selectors now know that there is a really high-quality replacement there,” he said.
Owen’s case is further strengthened by the fact that Cameron Green, who would have been the natural replacement for Marsh, is still in the early stages of his recovery from a lower-back stress fracture. Green has not played any competitive cricket since September 2024 and missed Australia’s entire home season. Ponting expressed doubts about Green’s availability for the Champions Trophy, noting that his fitness remains uncertain.
“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,” Ponting added.
Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign begins on February 22 with a highly anticipated match against arch-rivals England in Lahore. They will then face South Africa on February 25 and Afghanistan on February 28 in Rawalpindi.
Australia preliminary squad for Champions Trophy: Pat Cummins (c), 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.
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