Cricket Australia’s performance manager Pat Howard has said Shaun Marsh still has a Test future despite missing out most matches this season due to injury. Marsh has played 19 Tests for Australia so far and he last played an international game against South Africa in November before getting injured.
“The great thing about Shaun is that any time we drop him into the team he gets a hundred. He’s had a history of coming in and making a difference,” in an interview Howard told ABC Radio.
Howard claimed it’s “highly unlikely” for Marsh to make it to the Boxing Day Test which is scheduled on December 26 in Melbourne. He is likely to go under fitness test before the start of the second Test against Pakistan.
“He’s highly unlikely. X-rays will be checked in the next couple of days but we are looking at the Scorchers’ (BBL) game after Christmas,” Howard added.
The 33-year-old Marsh was ruled out of the last two Tests against South Africa. In August, the opening batsman broke his finger during Sri Lanka’s tour before missing out the One-day series against South Africa.
Marsh again suffered a broken finger in the first Test against the Proteas of three-match series at Perth, which required surgery.
In coming days, the selectors are likely to announce the squad for remaining two Tests against Pakistan.