Dubai is a fine location for Rod Marsh to ponder the joys of seeing something come into full bloom, whether it be a building project or a plan to turn a talented young cricketer into a world-beater.
Marsh has returned to the United Arab Emirates as Australia’s chief selector, having completed a six-year stint in Dubai with the ICC Global Cricket Academy as coaching director before joining Australia’s selection panel in 2011.
The 66-year-old has one eye on the future, with Australia to face a two-Test series against Pakistan.
But he’s also feeling nostalgic about the past, especially being back at the state of the art cricket complex in Dubai.
“When I came here to sign in 2005 there wasn’t a sign of civilisation,” Marsh said.
“The only thing you could see was camels. It was just complete desert.
“I’m more amazed than anyone to come back and see it now.
“I left three-and-a-half years ago.
“Now it looks absolutely beautiful. Magnificent.
“It can only happen like that in Dubai.
“The fact it’s come so far is unbelievable.
“The fact it’s been open since 2010 is amazing. It’s a proper, established cricket stadium and an outstanding one. But I am biased.”
Dubai’s cricket stadium will host its seventh Test match when Pakistan play Australia on October 22.
Its two training fields and nets have been described by Australia’s players in the past week as equal to anything they’ve seen around the world.
While Marsh can look on with pride at Dubai’s role in fostering cricket’s development, the straight-shooting selector is determined to play a key role in shaping Australia’s future success.
Marsh says when he returned to Australia in 2011 from Dubai he wasn’t thinking he’d soon be on Cricket Australia’s selection panel, and taking over as chairman of selectors in May 2014 when John Inverarity stepped down.
But he’s certainly not complaining about it.
“I never ever thought of semi-retirement. I was thinking full-time retirement!,” Marsh recalled.
“I know more about cricket than I do about anything else. It just stands to reason doesn’t it?
“It wouldn’t have worried me if I’d not got the position. I’d probably be a better golfer.
“I love doing what I do. I really love watching cricket and developing players.
That’s my first love.”
Marsh says he’s amazed by the skills of modern-day players.
The wicketkeeping great says Steve Smith’s maiden one-day international hundred in Sharjah on October 7, after coming to the crease with the score on 1-0, reminded him of Ricky Ponting.
And of course Ashes-winning and World Cup-winning skipper Ponting was one of Marsh’s great success stories from his days as a youngster at the national cricket academy in Adelaide under Marsh’s guidance.
“He summed up the situation perfectly,” Marsh said of Smith.
“It was an innings that was necessary and an innings that reminded me of a Ricky Ponting innings, coming in second ball of the match.
“I just thought it was outstanding. That’s what you love to see.
“He didn’t have a great time of it in Zimbabwe, and he sees a World Cup coming up and he wants to make the spot his own.
“And good on him. That’s what we want from everyone.”
ROD MARSH’S LIFE IN CRICKET
* Age: 66
* State team: Western Australia
* Bats: left-handed, also wicketkeeper
* Tests: 96 between 1970 and 1984
* Dismissals: 355 (including 95 caught Marsh bowled Dennis Lillee)
* Runs: 3633 at 26.51 with three hundreds
* One-day internationals: 92
* Australian cricket academy coach: 1990-2001
* England national academy coach: 2002-05
* England selector: 2003-05
* Australia selector: 2011-
* Named in Australian cricket hall of fame: 2005
* Note: Marsh is a former world-recorder holder for most dismissals by a Test wicketkeeper.
