Mahli Beardman: Illness could pave way for WA bolter’s shock Aussie debut against England
West Aussie bolter Mahli Beardman’s chances of a shock international debut have strengthened overnight, with illness threatening to rip through the Australian camp.
The West Australian understands Beardman has been told to prepare to play at some point in this series.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are under a cloud with illness, according to reports out of Nottingham, where Australia begins its five-match series against England on Thursday night.
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It could leave Ben Dwarshius and Sean Abbott as the only other fit pace bowlers in Australia’s squad, although they do have the cover of WA allrounders Cam Green and Aaron Hardie.
Beardman did not bowl at training on the eve of the match according to reports, after arriving in England on Tuesday, leaving a debut in the series-opener unlikely.
Captain Mitch Marsh was coy at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday night when asked about the fitness of his squad.
“We are still working through that. We will have 11 on the park,” he said.
The series will be crunched into just 11 days and it is unlikely — even if both are healthy — Starc and Hazlewood will play five games each.
Marsh admitted some rotation will be required.
“It’s certainly a busy schedule. There will be times where we might have to manage guys through, playing five games in 10 days is certainly a big ask, but we’ll manage that as best we can and make sure we’re fielding teams to win this series,” he said.
The stand-in skipper clarified Beardman is still on standby, but was full of praise for his fellow West Aussie.
“He’s a ripping young kid,” Marsh said.
“For a 19-year-old kid he has certainly got a lot of talent, he has shown that throughout the under-19 World Cup and I think he is going to learn a lot by being here over the next couple of weeks.
“I’ve certainly faced him in the nets a few times and we’ve seen over the history of Australian cricket we have got a long list of guys that have been plucked, I guess, out of nowhere.
“But Mahli is extremely talented, he bowls fast, and we’re rapt to have him here.”
Beardman has played just one-game of 50-over cricket for WA and was rushed to England on Monday in a stunning call-up.
He would be the seventh man — after Hardie, Green, Tim David, Josh Inglis, Lance Morris and Cooper Connolly — to make a debut for Australia in any format since 2022.
