Prime Minister's XI officials are confident Todd Murphy will be fit to play in next week's clash at Manuka Oval despite the off-spinner missing a second-straight Sheffield Shield game.
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The bowler did not line up for Victoria's clash with South Australia that commenced on Tuesday after being ruled out with a shoulder injury.
The issue is not considered serious and has been described as "soreness" by Victorian officials but it has forced Murphy to miss two Shield matches.
In announcing the team for the clash with the Redbacks, Cricket Victoria head of male cricket David Hussey said the 23-year-old was not far away from being fit to play.
"We've taken a cautious approach with Todd and while he was close to playing, we feel it is best to make sure he is 100 per cent fit before he returns to the side," Hussey said.
PM's XI officials are eager for confirmation on Murphy's status for the clash scheduled to start next Wednesday as they will need to identify a replacement as soon as possible.
Squad selection has already proven a controversial topic, with Big Bash teams reluctant to release their stars to play in the four-day match.
Given he has a full seven days to prepare for the game against Pakistan, it's expected the off-spinner will be available.
Murphy was one of the shining lights out of last year's PM's XI clash, using the game in Canberra as a launchpad to an international debut.
After impressing at Manuka Oval, the spinner was selected for Australia's tour of India and has now played in six Tests.
Uncertainty over Murphy's fitness comes as the remainder of the coaching and support staff for the game was confirmed on Tuesday.
ACT Meteors assistant Vusi Sibanda has been named PM's XI assistant and will work alongside head coach Thilan Samaraweera.
![Vusi Sibanda (left) has been named Prime Minister's XI assistant coach while Todd Murphy is under an injury cloud. Picture by Keegan Carroll/Rod Thompson Vusi Sibanda (left) has been named Prime Minister's XI assistant coach while Todd Murphy is under an injury cloud. Picture by Keegan Carroll/Rod Thompson](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/8e549196-4f90-4381-8889-03fd7d617c78.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A host of other officials will also be involved, with Cale Ryan the team physio and Michael Barrington managing strength and conditioning. James Forwood will also act as team analyst.
Sibanda enjoyed a successful international career for Zimbabwe and said he's looking forward to working with a host of Australian Test stars.
"It's a pretty special moment isn't it?" Sibanda said. "It's something I've always looked forward to. Playing at the elite level and now getting the opportunity to give back and help out in any possible way.
"It's something I've always been looking forward to, so it's a great opportunity."
Sibanda's involvement in the PM's XI comes after ACT Comets coach Jono Dean filled the assistant coach role last year. The former Adelaide Strikers star was also a member of the Australia A coaching staff and took plenty out of both experiences.
Cricket Australia has made a concerted effort to include state and territory coaches in the national setup as they look to develop the next generation of leaders.
Many are former players making the transition to coaching and have plenty of lessons to impart on the current crop of cricketers.
Cricket ACT head of cricket Stuart Karppinen said time spent with the national set up provides a crucial learning experience for the region's coaches. The advantages quickly flow through to the ACT, with players benefiting from coaches equipped with new skills.
"Getting exposure to international-level players and coaches is a huge benefit for our organisation," Karpinnen said. "[The coaches] can bring some of the learnings back to our programs here.
"There's a great deal of confidence in our staff. We're fortunate with this expanded program in the Australian under 19 space and the Australian A space across male and female programs. It's quite a deliberate program they're running not only developing players but secondments for staff.
"It's such a great experience to see the environments they're trying to create, the way they handle messaging, even data analytics. They can learn, observe and then look at the ways we can potentially adapt that here for our programs."