Rod Marsh: Australian cricket great dies aged 74

The cricket world was in mourning after the Australian great Rod Marsh died, aged 74. The former wicketkeeper suffered a heart attack in Queensland last week and was placed in an induced coma. He died in Adelaide on Friday.

Marsh played the first of his 96 Tests for Australia in 1970 and came to be regarded as one of his country’s greatest players. He called time on his Test career in 1984, hanging up his gloves with what was then a world record of 355 dismissals and 3,633 runs to his name.

After retiring as a player, he oversaw the nation’s cricket academy and later became a selector. He spent time in England as the director of the ECB national academy during a four-year spell between 2001 and 2005 and also oversaw the ICC’s inaugural world coaching academy in Dubai.

In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, 24 years after being elected to the Sport Australia Hall Of Fame. He also became a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1982.

Tributes from players past and present quickly began to flow for the cricket “legend”.

“So incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Rod (Bacchus) Marsh an absolute icon of Aust cricket,” Mark Waugh tweeted. “Had the pleasure of working with Rod for a number of years as a selector and you wouldn’t meet a more honest, down to earth, kind hearted person. RIP.”

The women’s national team wicketkeeper, Alyssa Healy, said it was a “sad day” while former captain Lisa Sthalekar referred to Marsh as “a legend of a cricketer, a great bloke who made everyone feel welcome in this great game”.

Former player and commentator Kerry O’Keeffe said it was the “saddest of days”. “Outstanding service to Australian cricket…great team mate…mention of his name makes me smile…brilliant dig,”