Marsh has confirmed his role in the top six for the World Cup, but the headlines from his Perth press conference were dominated by questions about ball-tampering. Much of the session was spent on that subject rather than on his plans for the tournament.

For anyone who regularly covers Marsh, the most striking moment was seeing him ruffled and looking a little shaken. He is normally composed in front of the microphone, so the change in demeanour raises questions about how the issue is affecting him and whether it could weigh on his preparations. Confidence on the field will matter as much as the batting order itself, and a strong, untroubled performance would do the most to move the focus back onto his cricket.

Readers wanting the complete account of the press conference and the full context around these comments can find it on ESPNcricinfo.