Former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh passes away

News Editor, Takmaa, Kolkata, 4th Mar 2020: Former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh passed away, aged 74, following a heart attack last week in Queensland.

Amongst Test cricket’s finest wicketkeepers, and an explosive left-handed batters, Marsh played 96 Tests for Australia between 1970 and 1984, scoring 3633 runs including three hundreds. At the time of his retirement, Marsh held the world record for most number of Test dismissals – 355. Marsh also featured in 92 ODIs, making 1225 runs at 20.08 with 124 dismissals

At the domestic level, Marsh made his debut for Western Australia in the 1968-69 season and went on to play 257 first-class matches, scoring 11,067 runs at 31.17 and completing 869 dismissals.

Known for his athletic keeping, Marsh’s partnership with legendary fast bowler Dennis Lillee is the most successful bowler-wicketkeeper union in Test history, with ‘caught Marsh, bowled Lillee’ recorded 95 times – a record till date.

Having turned a selector after retirement, Marsh went on to head up Australia’s selection panel between 2014 and 2016.

Marsh is a member of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, Sport Australia’s Hall of Fame and the ICC Hall of Fame and he also received the Order of the British Empire in 1981 for his services to sport.

He is survived by his wife Ros and children Paul, Dan and Jamie.