Shaun Marsh, 40, has announced his retirement from professional cricket, saying that the Melbourne Renegades’ final BBL match against Sydney Thunder will be his last. Marsh, who finished in first-class cricket with Western Australia at the end of the previous season, will join Renegades teammate Aaron Finch in calling it a day.
In spite of only having played in five BBL games thus far, Marsh has amassed impressive stats: 181 runs at 45.25 and a strike-rate of 138.16. He has made three of the team’s six half-centuries, including an undefeated 64 off 49 to lead the Renegades to victory in Finch’s final game on Saturday night.
“I have loved playing for the Renegades, I have met some great people over the last five years and the friendships I have made will last a lifetime,” Marsh said of his playing group.
“To the Renegades’ coaches and staff and everyone behind the scenes – thank you for backing me in from the start and over my final years. It is made my job a little easier out in the middle.”
Marsh made the move to the Renegades for the 2019–2020 season after a successful stint with the Perth Scorchers, where he averaged 47.46 in 40 games.
“Our members and fans are some of the most passionate out there and I am so thankful for their support over the journey. Stick with us, there is a huge amount of talent in this group and I have no doubt they will lead this group back to the top.”
“The back-to-back titles are up there for me as the most enjoyable moments I have experienced on a cricket field,” he said. “I owe a lot to the Scorchers, I really enjoyed my time playing in Perth,” Marsh added. Head coach of the Renegades, David Saker, praised Marsh for being among the best in the game even as he retires.
“To be putting in man-of-the-match performances at the age of 40 is testament to Shaun’s preparation and commitment to this club,” the player said. “SOS is one of those blokes who is universally liked and admired by anyone who ever played with or against him, domestically and internationally.”
“If I could have any batter in Australia to help plot and chase down a total, it would be SOS. He has raw power and the experience to wait for the right shot at the right time which is critical in T20 cricket.”
With one T20 match remaining, Marsh has amassed 7050 runs at 37.90 and a strike-rate of 128.53, 2477 of which have come for the Kings XI in the IPL. He is ranked sixth among all-time run scorers in the BBL.
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