jozeph
1 Aug 2003, 19:21
Steve Waugh second to The Don - Marsh
Steve Waugh is the second best cricketer Australia has ever produced, says former teammate Geoff Marsh.
Waugh's former coach and vice captain said only the peerless Sir Donald Bradman outranked the uncompromising Test skipper's feats in Australian cricket history.
The New South Welshman has resurrected his career in 2003, scoring four centuries in his last eight Test innings, following deafening calls for his retirement just eight months ago.
"I think he has to be rated as one of the best, if not the (best)... obviously Bradman stands alone, but I reckon his record speaks for itself," Marsh said of Waugh, who both made their national debut in the summer of 1985/86.
"His captaincy record is outstanding and his performance with the bat speaks for itself.
"All Stephen's hundreds in Test cricket, they are all under pressure."
Waugh is only 653 runs behind the highest run-scorer in Test history, Allan Border, and should overhaul his old skipper's mark in the next 12 months with home series against Zimbabwe (two Tests), India (four Tests) and Sri Lanka (two Tests).
The Zimbabwe coach said Waugh had scored the best two hundreds he had seen, including his unforgettable final ball of the day century against England at the SCG last summer.
"That hundred he got in Sydney last year was just magnificent," Marsh said.
"It was the second best innings I have ever seen in world cricket.
"The other one was his hundred in the World Cup in 1999 in Headingley, when we had to beat South Africa to get into the semi-finals.
"Great knocks, inspirational, great for the game."
That is high praise considering Marsh watched from the dressing rooms as Dean Jones overcame nausea and delirium to score his famous 210 against India in Chennai in 1986.
The West Australian said he wasn't surprised Waugh was still leaving his mark on the game some 18 years after entering the international arena.
"Stephen's such a competitor, he loves the game of cricket and he's so determined to keep going," Marsh said of Waugh, who has managed to creep his Test batting average back above 50 this year.
"He enjoys the captaincy, he enjoys winning and he enjoys the team.
"It is like a cancer, it just keeps growing on him and he just wants to keep doing it as long as he possibly can."
Marsh, who this week signed on for another 12 months with the African nation, said Zimbabwe would try to blunt Waugh's influence in the upcoming two-Test series in Australia in October by boring the Bankstown batsman.
"You have got to bore him out (with good line and length)," Marsh said.
"A lot of teams come in and attack him but you can't do that, if you get him up under the ribs, it spurs him on.
"You have to bore him out and that's what we used to do when we played against him for WA."
Marsh said, whatever the outcome, there would be no better education in the world cricket for his players than competing against the dogged Waugh.
"Our guys are so keen to get over here and to play against Steve, because he wasn't at the World Cup," he said.
"They want to play a Test match against him, bowl to him, bat while he's out on the field and after the game, have a chat to him.
"No-one knows the game better than Steve does."
İAAP 2003
Interesting article, quotes etc, what it doesn't say very clearly though is that G Marsh coaches Zim. Sounds like Marsh is doing a little bit of stirring to me. Reverse psychology?
Steve Waugh is the second best cricketer Australia has ever produced, says former teammate Geoff Marsh.
Waugh's former coach and vice captain said only the peerless Sir Donald Bradman outranked the uncompromising Test skipper's feats in Australian cricket history.
The New South Welshman has resurrected his career in 2003, scoring four centuries in his last eight Test innings, following deafening calls for his retirement just eight months ago.
"I think he has to be rated as one of the best, if not the (best)... obviously Bradman stands alone, but I reckon his record speaks for itself," Marsh said of Waugh, who both made their national debut in the summer of 1985/86.
"His captaincy record is outstanding and his performance with the bat speaks for itself.
"All Stephen's hundreds in Test cricket, they are all under pressure."
Waugh is only 653 runs behind the highest run-scorer in Test history, Allan Border, and should overhaul his old skipper's mark in the next 12 months with home series against Zimbabwe (two Tests), India (four Tests) and Sri Lanka (two Tests).
The Zimbabwe coach said Waugh had scored the best two hundreds he had seen, including his unforgettable final ball of the day century against England at the SCG last summer.
"That hundred he got in Sydney last year was just magnificent," Marsh said.
"It was the second best innings I have ever seen in world cricket.
"The other one was his hundred in the World Cup in 1999 in Headingley, when we had to beat South Africa to get into the semi-finals.
"Great knocks, inspirational, great for the game."
That is high praise considering Marsh watched from the dressing rooms as Dean Jones overcame nausea and delirium to score his famous 210 against India in Chennai in 1986.
The West Australian said he wasn't surprised Waugh was still leaving his mark on the game some 18 years after entering the international arena.
"Stephen's such a competitor, he loves the game of cricket and he's so determined to keep going," Marsh said of Waugh, who has managed to creep his Test batting average back above 50 this year.
"He enjoys the captaincy, he enjoys winning and he enjoys the team.
"It is like a cancer, it just keeps growing on him and he just wants to keep doing it as long as he possibly can."
Marsh, who this week signed on for another 12 months with the African nation, said Zimbabwe would try to blunt Waugh's influence in the upcoming two-Test series in Australia in October by boring the Bankstown batsman.
"You have got to bore him out (with good line and length)," Marsh said.
"A lot of teams come in and attack him but you can't do that, if you get him up under the ribs, it spurs him on.
"You have to bore him out and that's what we used to do when we played against him for WA."
Marsh said, whatever the outcome, there would be no better education in the world cricket for his players than competing against the dogged Waugh.
"Our guys are so keen to get over here and to play against Steve, because he wasn't at the World Cup," he said.
"They want to play a Test match against him, bowl to him, bat while he's out on the field and after the game, have a chat to him.
"No-one knows the game better than Steve does."
İAAP 2003
Interesting article, quotes etc, what it doesn't say very clearly though is that G Marsh coaches Zim. Sounds like Marsh is doing a little bit of stirring to me. Reverse psychology?