Geoff Marsh was known for his dogged determination in his role as a right hand opening batsman. When he debuted in Test cricket, he had an inauspicious start at batting position No. 3. Then, he was made an opener where he cemented his spot and formed illustrious partnerships, first with David Boon and then with Mark Taylor. The way in which he began the Australian innings laid the foundation for several Australian triumphs. The highlight of these innings was the 1987 Cricket World Cup final. He found his true niche and flourished in ODIs as compared with Test cricket.
In July 1996, Marsh became the coach of the Australian side. This team was a robust Test team and had Test series victories in Pakistan, West Indies and in the Ashes. Marsh transformed a weak ODI team into a World Cup winning one in 1999, when they defeated a hapless Pakistan in the final. From 2001 to 2004, Marsh was the coach of the Zimbabwe team.
Career Highlights
Geoff Marsh participated in 117 ODIs in which he batted in 115 innings and remained not out 6 times. He accrued 4357 runs with 126 not out as his highest score. His batting average was 39.97 and batting strike rate was 55.93. He smashed 9 hundreds, 22 fifties, 302 boundaries and 22 sixes. While fielding, he took 31 catches. He bowled 6 balls in which 4 runs were scored and no wicket could be claimed.
