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Geoff Marsh to give up coach's job

Australian cricket coach Geoff Marsh is to stand down at the end of the current tour of Sri Lanka for personal reasons, the Australian Cricket Board said today.

ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed said Marsh had decided that family commitments and personal priorities meant he could no longer continue in the role.

The former opening batsman was reappointed coach for another two years only one month ago, following Australia's World Cup triumph.

Marsh will leave the team after the Sri Lanka tour on October 4, with the ACB arranging for an interim coach to accompany the team on their tour to Zimbabwe, starting on October 6.

The ACB has started to look for a permanent replacement with former captain Allan Border and Queensland coach John Buchanan early favourites.

Marsh leaves the job after a period of enormous success for the Australian team with a series win in the West Indies, an Ashes victory and a win in Pakistan, followed by the World Cup success.

He said his decision was a difficult one but came down to the priority he placed on his family after 14 years with the national team as a player and coach.

"Life on the international cricket circuit is tremendously rewarding and I doubt if there is any better position than coach of the Australian team,'' said Marsh in a statement.

"It's a wonderful job, particularly when you achieve the success that this team has had. But it can be also totally consuming. Constant travel and extended time away from your family is very demanding and difficult.''

Speed said he had spoken to Marsh about the decision and had offered to make changes to his role to better accommodate his family commitments but a compromise could not be found.

"Naturally we are disappointed to lose someone of his calibre but we fully understand the reasons why he has made his decision,'' Speed said.

UNI