Shaun Marsh is only battling himself and needs more time says former Test batsman Marcus North
By Justin Chadwick
January 28, 2012 12:12AM
Former Test batsman Marcus North has urged national selectors to keep faith in out-of-form left-hander Shaun Marsh, insisting the 28-year-old will come good as soon as he's overcome his mental blockages.
Marsh has been a shadow of himself since suffering a back injury in South Africa two months ago, posting scores of 0, 0, 3, 0, 11, 3 and 0 in his past seven Test innings.
North knows what it's like being in the selection firing line after his own 21-Test career was brought to an end during last summer's Ashes series.
But the Western Australia skipper said Marsh was an immense talent who would soon break free from his mental shackles.
"There's no doubt he's fighting himself more than anything," North said on Friday.
"It's such a mental game and it's just a matter of getting that breakthrough innings to get your thinking in the right way and having a bit of confidence.
"It was only a couple of months ago we were all talking about how good his technique was in South Africa.
"That innings he played with Michael Clarke in Cape Town (scoring 44) with the moving wicket was pretty exceptional."
With no more Tests to come before Australia's March-April tour of the West Indies, North said it was up to Marsh to prove his form in the one-day arena after his woeful India series average of 2.83.
North knows what it's like being in the selection firing line after his own 21-Test career was brought to an end during last summer's Ashes series.
But the Western Australia skipper said Marsh was an immense talent who would soon break free from his mental shackles.
"Six innings ago, we were all talking about Shaun Marsh as our first picked and there were comments about (Ricky) Ponting and (Mike) Hussey being dropped."
Cricket Australia's high performance chief Pat Howard said on Friday Marsh would never be written off but he refused to be drawn on his short-term future.
"I'm not going to make a call on any individual - that is not my job," Howard said.
"... And we never write anybody off. Everybody has got a journey."
