The top-three spots of the Australian side are up for grabs after former captain Steve Smith and former vice-captain David Warner were handed one-year bans, and opener Cameron Bancroft was given a nine-month suspension for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal.
Having already secured a place in the national Test team as a middle-order batsman, Australian veteran Shaun Marsh has said that he is comfortable to open the batting for his side if required later this year.
The top-three spots of the Australian side are up for grabs after former captain Steve Smith and former vice-captain David Warner were handed one-year bans, and opener Cameron Bancroft was given a nine-month suspension for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal.
Warner and Bancroft had opened the batting for the Australian side in the eight consecutive Tests before the pair was suspended from playing in the international cricket. With new coach Justin Langer looking to fill in the vacant spots, Marsh said that he is ready to open the batting for the team if his captain wants him to do so.
The 34-year-old pointed out that he has been pretty flexible over the past few years and had also managed to score well at the top of the order. "I've been pretty flexible over the years, I've scored runs at the top of the order, I've scored runs in the middle order. It's a fair way away. I just want to put my focus and energy on the next few months for Australia and Glamorgan," cricket.com.au quoted Marsh, as saying.
"It's a fair way away. I just want to put my focus and energy on the next few months for Australia and Glamorgan. If the captain did want (me to open), then I'd feel comfortable but we'll see what happens," added Marsh, who is currently in London with Australia's ODI squad.
As an opener, Marsh had averaged 42 from nine Test innings, including scoring a century in Colombo in 2016. However, the batsman has enjoyed his most impressive Test run till date at the number 5 and number 6 spots, notching up two centuries and averaging 42 as he played nine consecutive matches over the 2017-18 season.
Australia's next Test assignment will only come in during their trip to the United States when they play against Pakistan in late September.
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 "Shaun Marsh")
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