Geoff completes Marsh trilogy in IPL

Over the past three years,Geoff Marsh has watched on television his sons play in the Indian Premier League.

Over the past three years,Geoff Marsh has watched on television his sons play in the Indian Premier League. Shaun plays for Kings XI Punjab,while younger brother Mitchell represents Deccan Chargers. Dinner-table conversations at the Marsh household have often revolved around the cricket in the IPL,dressing room tales and the popularity of the Twenty20 game in India.

On Monday,Marsh Senior became part of the IPL circus. Marsh,who played 50 Tests for Australia,has been appointed coach of the Sahara Pune Warriors,one of the two new teams in the fourth season of the IPL.

Yes my sons did welcome me (to the IPL). We have had many conversations about IPL. We have spoken about the impact the IPL has made in India and the popularity of Twenty20 cricket. Shaun spoke about the excitement revolving around the Twenty20 game,while Mitch said that he was happy to have shared the dressing room with players from so many different countries, Marsh told The Indian Express on Monday.

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The former Australian opener and coach of 1999 World Cup-winning side will be assisted by England all-rounder Dermot Reeve. They will start off by trying to spot local talent before finalising a list of players they would like to buy at the auction. So are his two sons on his wish-list then?

That will be interesting isnt it… there will be a lot of people giving inputs,they will judged by the support staff… just like any other player in the auction list, Marsh said. .

Dermot Reeve has been part of the Maharashtra Premier League in coaching capacity. Marsh has a magnificent history as a player and as a coach…we can bounce off ideas… two brains and an extra pair of eyes is always good, Reeve said.

The Englishman and the Australian will be watching the Ashes together now. Yes,we will be watching the Ashes but will be supporting different teams, Reeve said. But our priority will be helping Pune Warriors win the IPL title this year. That will be a common goal.

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Meanwhile,Sahara India chairman and team owner Subrata Roy has made it clear his side must be the most disciplined of the lot. Discipline is high priority for us. It is something we strongly believe in. Roy also said that both Marsh and Reeve were picked after their credentials were carefully studied. I am sure that both Marsh and Reeve are best suited to take Sahara Pune Warriors to victory.