Marsh to separate wheat from chaff

13 April 2012

Identifying talented young cricketers has not been a problem for England in the past 10 years. Developing the best and discarding the rest is where the system continually falls down - a failure which that archetypal Aussie, Rod Marsh, will now try to put right.

The first director of the new and, as yet, homeless English Cricket Academy may be a controversial appointment in that Australia did not want to lose him while some coaches in this country will argue that an appointment should have been made from within.

But Marsh, the colourful former Test wicket-keeper, is clearly the best man for the job, having run the world's most successful cricket finishing school for a decade, and he sounds truly excited about the challenge ahead.

But what exactly is that challenge? Ten years ago, around the time Marsh was taking charge of Australia's academy in Adelaide, international cricket's oldest rivals played a three-match 'Test' series at Under-19 level.

Australia won the first match, at Leicester, with embarrassing ease. England responded magnificently to take the second game at Chelmsford and the third, at Old Trafford, finished as the tightest of tight draws with both sides chasing victory inside the final hour.

Of the 14 youngsters who represented England during that series, not one will be involved in this week's Third Test at Nottingham, even though eight of them, including John Crawley, Ronnie Irani, Mark Lathwell and Mal Loye, are county cricket regulars.

Australia also used 14 players back in 1991. Two of them, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn, have been Australia's most prolific batsmen so far this series and another two, Greg Blewett and Mike Kasprowicz, were kept out of the touring party only because the competition for places is so hot.

As the rest of Australia's class of '91, they are presumably earning a living as doctors, dentists or didgeridoo makers. One thing they are not doing, and have not for a long time, is playing cricket beyond a recreational level.

Australia have been incredibly successful at developing their most accomplished youngsters to such an extent they become world-beaters.

Just as important, though, Marsh and his colleagues further down the line have quickly identified those players who, for one reason another, are falling short of the required standards. The nearly men leave the scene so the next batch of hopefuls can come through.

English cricket can only hope its own academy will be an equally tough school.

"My main target over the next three years will be to develop a base of, perhaps, 20 players who in three, five or seven years will be very good Test and one-day international cricketers," said Marsh.

The first 'pupils', picked next month by the national selectors, will be aged between 19 and 23 and handed over to Marsh when he takes up his £85,000-a-year post in October.

Berkshire's Bisham Abbey is the academy's intended HQ, provided planning permission is granted, but the group will spend most of each winter abroad, with Australia the predictable destination later this year.

It is true to say that Marsh has slightly changed his tune. He was once so critical of English county cricket that he advised young Australians against playing in the County Championship because they would face "pie-throwers".

Now Marsh insists it is important "for the good of the game as a whole" that cricket here is strong. Clearly, and crucially, he believes it can be.

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Marsh to separate wheat from chaff

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