Sharjah: Rodney Marsh, legendary Australian wicketkeeper and now their chief selector, wants his team to adapt to whatever conditions that his players have to encounter in UAE. “Conditions do not matter. You have to play according to the conditions you are given,” Marsh told Gulf News.
Marsh who had earned a reputation as an outstanding coach and was the International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy coaching director in Dubai before taking charge as chief selector, said: “It is very important to find a way to succeed. If it turns, you’ve got to find a way to succeed. If it bounces, you must find a way to counter it. The most important factor is you need to play well then generally you will be successful. I feel cricket is a very stable game.”
Marsh has stressed on this aspect and passed on this cardinal message to his team. “If we play well, we will give a good account of ourselves. It applies to all teams around the world because the standard of cricket worldwide is such that if you don’t play well you will get beaten, so you have to play well,” added Marsh, one of the greatest wicketkeepers of all times. His association with the legendary fast bowler Dennis Lillee resulted in score board recording “caught Marsh bowled Lillee” 95 times in Tests.
Marsh is delighted with the rise of many young talents from his country. “I am always happy when young players come and perform,” he said naming Mitchell Marsh who is showing a lot of promise and did well in the recently Champions League. “I am happy he is doing very well lately.”
Marsh had named Aaron Finch as the captain of the Twenty20 team and he has come out with flying colours guiding his team to an emphatic win over Pakistan in the one-off Twenty20 match in Dubai. “Finch is a confident batsman and might make a very good captain too,” he said.
Marsh has great memories of playing against Pakistan. In fact, in his last innings of his One-day career against Pakistan in the 1984 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup at Sydney Cricket Ground, he had cracked 66 runs to ensure his team a 34-run win.
“Pakistan are very good team and it has always been good contest between the two countries whether it is in Australia or any other part of the world. So we can expect good cricket in UAE and big crowds, which is very important for the series,” said Marsh, who also had a look at the facilities at ICC Academy which he had set up.
“The facilities here are brilliant. I feel it has got even better than from the time I was here. These facilities in the UAE are the best in the world. Where can you see all types of wicket in the world and train accordingly to your need?” he asked.
