Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh punched a dressing-room wall in frustration, resulting in a broken hand, during a Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at the WACA in Perth on Sunday.
Western Australia captain Marsh was dismissed for 53 on the final day in the drawn match. After failing to win the game for his team, he took his anger out on a wall. Medical tests and scans have shown fractures in his middle-finger of right-hand and he now finds himself in a space of concern where he could lose his spot in Australia’s squad for their home series against Pakistan. He will be out of cricket for four to six weeks.
Realizing his mistake Marsh asked for an apology. “It certainly will be an isolated incident… it won’t be happening again. It’s a good lesson for me, hopefully, it’s a good lesson for other people as well,” he was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
Mitch addresses the media. #WESTISBEST pic.twitter.com/suj29GJHu7
— WACA (@WACA_Cricket) October 15, 2019
“At the end of the day, it’s a game of cricket. Sometimes you get beaten, you get out, and you can’t be punching walls. As a captain, I’ve done a lot of work in setting a good example on and off the field over the last 18 months since I took over. This is a small hiccup for me,” the 27-year-old added.
After sitting out of the national team for some time. Marsh was recalled for the final Ashes Test against England last month. He made an impressive return and took a 5-for in the first innings and two in the second.
Meanwhile, during his interaction with the reporters after the injury, he revealed that national team coach Justin Langer has been in touch with him and expressed his displeasure over the cricketer’s action by calling him an “idiot”.
He just told me I’m an idiot basically. He was disappointed for me. Just the feeling of letting your teammates down and not being able to be a part of the journey for the next four to six weeks, that was the point I wanted to stress to the lads, that I was sorry,” said the son of former Australia opener Geoff Marsh and brother of Shaun Marsh.