Will Shaun Marsh be better than his father for Australia?

[NUFAN]

Shaun Marsh has just started his International Career playing his first match for Australia in the Twenty20 match against West Indies.

His stocks have risen so much in the past 6 months, thanks largely to a strong domestic season with WA and then a superb tournament in the IPL.

He's a very good batsmen who I think will end up taking over from Ricky Ponting as Australia's number 3 in the longer form of the game.

Geoff was a terrific opening batsman for Australia in the one day arena. His job of surviving and rotating the strike over was a big key, and he held the record for most ODI 100s for Australia, for quite some time.

In Test Cricket he wasn't as good as he could have been, he's probably remembered most for his century in the Ashes in 1989 where he batted the entire day with Taylor.

Geoff was also a very good fielder in the gully region.

My question is, will Shaun Marsh end up having a better career for Australia [excluding coaching career] than his father?

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by NUFAN

Shaun Marsh has just started his International Career playing his first match for Australia in the Twenty20 match against West Indies.

His stocks have risen so much in the past 6 months, thanks largely to a strong domestic season with WA and then a superb tournament in the IPL.

He's a very good batsmen who I think will end up taking over from Ricky Ponting as Australia's number 3 in the longer form of the game.

Geoff was terrific opening batsman for Australia in the one day arena. His job of surviving and rotating the strike over was a big key, and he held the record for most ODI 100s for Australia, for quite some time.

In Test Cricket he wasn't as good as he could have been, he's probably remembered most for his century in the Ashes in 1989 where he batted the entire day with Taylor.

Geoff was also a very good fielder in the gully region.

My question is, will Shaun Marsh end up having a better career Australia [excluding coaching career] than his father?

Shaun plays his shots more than Geoff and probably is stronger on the pull but, contrary to his rep as a grafter, Geoff had them too. He was in the side when the Aussies were struggling so had to reign it in a bit. Difficult to compare, really. He'll have to bat very, very well and for a long period of time. Has the potential to be a pretty decent Test player, especially if he manages to eradicate his tendency to be squared-up on the back-foot. The two are damn-near identical on teh front-foot, though. Check this photo out;



Anyone who's seen them both play tell me that doesn't look like Geoff Marsh batting in front of a mirror.

[chaminda_00]

Mitchell Marsh will be greater then both of them.

[Prince EWS]

Tempted to say yes here. Geoff was a decent Test batsman and filled a hole for Australia for quite a few years but he wasn't in the top echelon by any stretch. I'd be hoping Shaun could better that.

Shaun doesn't have a great First Class record at the moment so I hope he isn't thrust into Test contention for a season or so at least, but he has one of the best techniques in Australian domestic cricket and a vast array of shots to go with it. I think next season will be huge for him and the experience he's getting around the Australian squad at the moment will hopefully be valuable too.

Obviously you can't really say anything definitively at the moment and I expect a whole heap of replies reading "too early to say", but that's what makes a thread like this fun - there's certainly no right answer at the moment.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Shaun plays his shots more than Geoff and probably is stronger on the pull but, contrary to his rep as a grafter, Geoff had them too. He was in the side when the Aussies were struggling so had to reign it in a bit. Difficult to compare, really. He'll have to bat very, very well and for a long period of time. Has the potential to be a pretty decent Test player, especially if he manages to eradicate his tendency to be squared-up on the back-foot. The two are damn-near identical on teh front-foot, though. Check this photo out;



Anyone who's seen them both play tell me that doesn't look like Geoff Marsh batting in front of a mirror.

Woah, woah... Geoff was a right-hander?

Had always presumed he and Taylor were a left-left combo. How odd.

I've analysed Geoff's career to the nth degree and he was an excellent opening-batsman for quite a while (before being a pretty poor one for another while) but I've never actually seen him bat and had always presumed he stood with the other hand than he does.

As to how good is Shaun - don't, yet, have a clue really. Never taken any real note of him.

[Lillian Thomson]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Anyone who's seen them both play tell me that doesn't look like Geoff Marsh batting in front of a mirror.

That doesn't look like Geoff Marsh batting in front of a mirror.

[NUFAN]

I reckon you've analysed it to about the first degree Richo if you didn't even know what hand he batted with.

[NUFAN]

Originally Posted by Lillian Thomson

That doesn't look like Geoff Marsh batting in front of a mirror.

Yeah he'd be naked!

Heard a few stories of him batting naked in front of the mirror when Boonie was his room mate.

[Lillian Thomson]

Originally Posted by NUFAN

I reckon you've analysed it to about the first degree Richo if you didn't even know what hand he batted with.

When Richard talks of analysis he means statzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Mister Wright]

Looks a very good player. Hopefully he can kick on and be as good or if not better than his father.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by NUFAN

I reckon you've analysed it to about the first degree Richo if you didn't even know what hand he batted with.

Nah you can look at performances without knowing what hand someone batted with.

[andyc]

Originally Posted by NUFAN

Heard a few stories of him batting naked in front of the mirror when Boonie was his room mate.

[Richard]

Andy Cameron strikes while I'm viewing for the first time in months and months.

[Jakester1288]

I voted Geoff. Shaun has great potential. As Rob said, it is to early to say.

[Burgey]

Like to see Shaun's apparent gifts matched with dad's powers of concerntration - would be special.

Right now I'd settle just for Geoff's catching in the corden TBH.

What struck me watching him and Ronchi the other day in the T20 was, once again, something we've done to death here - the power of modern bats. Seeing guys just play a drive with no follow through and watch it sail over the boundary is crazy.

On topic: he looks the goods, but has to prove himself int he longer forms of the game. I liked his approach to the T11 though - even in that slap-dash stuff he looked a calculating cricketer. Hopefully he kicks on.