Mitchell Marsh will miss Australia’s cricket summer after having ankle surgery.

Melbourne, 2 December Mitchell Marsh, a top Australian all-rounder, has chosen to have surgery on his ankle in an effort to be healthy for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India next year. As a result, he will likely miss Australia’s tour of India at the end of the domestic season.

According to the ICC, the 31-year-old Marsh’s choice will result in his missing the full summer of cricket in Australia due to injury.

Marsh has experienced ongoing ankle problems, and the persistent pain nearly prevented him from competing in the T20 World Cup on home soil. In an effort to regain full fitness, the 31-year-old will undergo keyhole surgery to remove loose bone fragments and repair cartilage.

Marsh was a travelling companion on Australia’s most recent tour of Asia, a two-match series against Sri Lanka in July, even though he was not chosen for the home Test team to face the West Indies.

Marsh hasn’t participated in a Test since the 2019 Ashes, but the all-rounder was eager to travel to India for Australia’s Border-Gavaskar series, which will be crucial in the country’s bid for the World Test Championship.

“Mitchell is a vital component of our squads, and we will support him during his rehabilitation period. We are confident he will be available for Australian selection for the ODI series against India in March,” said Australian head of selectors George Bailey in a statement.

Because the surgery is being done now, Mitchell has the best chance of recovering and resuming his all-around abilities, which are crucial to our plans for the upcoming year and beyond.

Marsh will watch from the sidelines alongside fellow all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who had an unexpected injury in the middle of November. After Australia’s failed T20 World Cup defense, Maxwell took a harmless fall at a friend’s house, breaking his left fibula.