Ponting Backs Young BBL Star Mitch Owen to Replace Marsh in Champions Trophy

By siliconindia  |  Wednesday, 05 February 2025, 09:34:50 AM IST

Ponting Backs Young BBL Star Mitch Owen to Replace Marsh in Champions Trophy
Australian cricket legend Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind rising Big Bash League (BBL) star Mitch Owen as a potential replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh in Australia's squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Marsh, considered vital to the balance of Australia's one-day team, was forced out of the tournament last month by a back injury. The selectors, however, have to wrap up their 15-man squad by February 12, and that is where things stand now for this team: established names are well in the fray, but it now has the added element of surprise with Ponting throwing Owen, an uncapped all-rounder, into the mix after that latter dominated Australia's domestic T20 competition.
Owen, who was 23 years old at that time, stands tall from the BBL as he emerged as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 452 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 203.60. He played for the Hobart Hurricanes, smashed two centuries, and one such match-winning 108 he made off just 42 balls against Sydney Thunder in the finals. His innings were full of six fours and 11 sixes that helped his side chase down 183 with 35 balls to spare. He also chipped in with the ball, taking three wickets with his medium pace, earning him a contract with the Paarl Royals in South Africa's SA20 league.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Ponting said Owen displayed great versatility and had all the potential to step up on the international stage.
"I am 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—Mitch Owen—who has opened the batting for the Hobart Hurricanes and performed exceptionally well".
Ponting acknowledged that Marsh has primarily batted in Australia's top three in ODIs over the past couple of years and pointed out that Owen has experience in a similar role.
"He is also an all-rounder, probably more suited to that position," Ponting added. "Owen has opened the batting in T20 cricket and has also done so for Tasmania in the Marsh Cup, which is our 50-over format".
Though Ponting conceded that selecting Owen would be a very daring step, he thinks that now the selectors realize what talent stands before them in Owen.
"Look, 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.
The fact that Cameron Green has only just begun his recovery process, who had been touted to be the successor to Marsh, might add strength to Owen's chances. There is a real need for a reliable all-rounder to bolster Australia in the Champions Trophy, and explosive batting along with useful medium pace could make him a wildcard choice for the same.

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