Shaun Marsh, a left-handed batter from Western Australia, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after dedicating 22 years of service to the sport at the Sheffield Shield level. He also played in 73 ODI matches for Australia, showcasing his talent and love for the game throughout his career.
Marsh made his first-class debut at the young age of 17 in 2001 for Western Australia. He went on to achieve a significant milestone in his career, which was winning a Sheffield Shield title last season. He even captained the team during the final in the absence of his brother Mitchell Marsh, fulfilling a career-long ambition.
Congratulations Shaun Marsh on an outstanding state career! pic.twitter.com/9DsqNHJCFC
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 10, 2023
Despite being 39 years old, Marsh decided to play another season in 2022-23. Unfortunately, he has been hampered by injuries and only managed to participate in one Shield game this summer. Marsh had just returned to Perth club cricket after sustaining a fractured finger when he made the decision to retire from first-class cricket.
“I batted for about 20 minutes and the quicks came over…I said to V [WA coach Adam Voges] that I’m done and want to do my weights [session],” Marsh told the reporters. “I probably did half my weights [session]. I walked out and thought, ‘that’s not me’. Over the last 24 hours it hit home that my time is done.
“It’s been an amazing journey, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d be here for 22 years and that’s something that I’m very proud of,” he added.
Marsh’s retirement is effective immediately, which means that he will not be able to participate in Western Australia’s bid to defend their title. They are set to play Victoria at the WACA next week, with the final starting on March 23. Marsh’s absence will undoubtedly be felt by the team, but they will no doubt want to make their captain’s final season a memorable one.
