Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, seen with his feet on the World Cup trophy after their title win, has expressed his frustration over the scheduling of a T20I series right after the World Cup. In an interview with the SEN Radio network in Australia, Marsh clarified that he did not mean any disrespect with the controversial photo.
After a photo surfaced showing Marsh with his feet on the World Cup trophy, Indian fans criticized him, and even Indian pacer Mohammed Shami expressed feeling hurt by the incident. Addressing the controversy, Marsh explained, “There was obviously no disrespect meant in that photo at all. I haven’t given it too much thought; I haven’t seen a lot on social media, even though everyone tells me it’s gone off. There’s nothing in that.”
While Marsh has returned to Australia, some of his teammates are still in India participating in the five-match T20I series. Marsh acknowledged that the ongoing series has somewhat disrupted their celebratory mood and expressed understanding of the delicate balance between respecting their commitments to the Australian team and the human aspect of celebrating a World Cup victory.
Reflecting on his teammates who had to remain in India for the T20I series, Marsh expressed solidarity, saying, “I celebrated for the six guys who stayed behind; I celebrated for them.”