No beg-pardons when Marsh takes over

England's young cricketers can expect to be put under pressure and not to show as many niceties to their county rivals when Rod Marsh takes over their cricket academy, the former Australia wicketkeeper said on Saturday.

Marsh, the head coach of the Australian cricket academy in Adelaide, South Australia state, will resign to take up a similar role with England later this year.

"Our Pura Cup (interstate) competition is pretty competitive with no beg-pardons," Marsh was quoted as saying in the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne on Saturday.

"Maybe there are too many beg-pardons in County cricket. Maybe they're too nice to each other at times.

"Maybe there's not enough direct competition, eyeball to eyeball.

"Maybe they don't want to win that badly because they do play too much, because it is a job every day of the week.

"I'm sure that's got something to do with it. You just might lose that fanatical edge about wanting to win this game of cricket.

"I'm yet to find out all of this, but you can find out when you put people under pressure in certain ways.

"I suspect it won't take long for me to find out the blokes who do and do not mind dying for their country."

Marsh's comments echo those of leg-spinner Shane Warne, who was said earlier this week that English cricketers settled for mediocrity.

"A lot of guys are comfortable with their sponsored cars and good wages but they don't push themselves to make it to the next level," Warne said.

"In Australia just about everyone playing first-class cricket is aiming to play at test level and think they can."

Mail Cricket Editor