Mitchell Marsh faced criticism from Indian fans after a photo showed him resting his feet on the World Cup trophy. In response, Marsh clarified that he meant no disrespect, though he hinted that he might do the same thing again.
A day after Australia’s World Cup victory against India, the photo of Marsh with his feet on the trophy sparked annoyance among Indian fans. Speaking to Australia’s SEN Radio network, Marsh addressed the incident for the first time publicly.
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“Yeah, probably, to be honest,” Marsh commented when asked if he would repeat the action.
“There was obviously no disrespect meant in that photo at all. I haven’t dwelled on it much, even though I’ve been told it’s caused quite a stir on social media. To me, it’s not a big deal.”
While many fans raised objections, even Indian pacer Mohammed Shami expressed being hurt by the image. An upset fan went as far as writing to the PMO and the Union Sports Ministry requesting a ban on Marsh playing cricket in India.
Although Marsh has returned to Australia, some of his teammates remain in India for the five-match T20Is. He mentioned how the series interrupted their celebrations.
“Yeah, it was tough for the guys who stayed behind,” he acknowledged.
“We must respect that we’re representing Australia in a significant series against India. But there’s also the human side—we’ve just won a World Cup, and the guys deserve time to celebrate and reunite with their families. It’s a tricky situation. Hopefully, there won’t be many such series scheduled right after major tournaments.”
Players like Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis, and Sean Abbott had to stay in India for the first three matches before heading home.
“I celebrated on behalf of the six guys who stayed behind,” Marsh added.
