Cricket legend Rod Marsh suffers heart attack in Queensland

Cricket legend Rod Marsh has been moved to Royal Adelaide Hospital from Bundaberg, as he continues his fight after suffering a heart attack.

Rod Marsh has been transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital from Bundaberg after suffering a major heart attack last Thursday.

Test wicketkeeping legend Marsh remains in an induced coma since suffering a heart attack on the way from the Bundaberg airport to a hotel where he was a guest of the Bulls Masters cricket charity.

Initially it was discussed that he could be taken to Brisbane but instead it was agreed that he be transferred to Adelaide where he and wife Ros live after moving from Perth two decades ago.

Messages of support for Marsh, 74, have flooded in from throughout the cricket world including England, where he was a selector and National Academy boss, and India, where he also set up a national academy.

Rod’s son Paul, chief executive of the AFL players association after holding a similar role with the Australian Cricketers Association, released a statement this week on behalf of the family saying his father “is currently in the fight of his life”.

“At the moment, this is a waiting game and we are unlikely to have any certainty for some time,” he said.

“We know there is a lot of interest in dad’s condition and our family has been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support from all around the world. We have listened to and read every one of them and are incredibly grateful.”

Watch Australia’s Tour of Pakistan on Kayo. Every Test, ODI and T20 Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

CUMMINS’ TRIBUTE FOR AILING ICON’S AWFUL ‘WAITING GAME’

Rod Marsh’s family have confirmed that the former Test great is in “the fight of his life’’ and remains in an induced coma in hospital.

Marsh’s son Paul has released a statement on behalf of the family saying it may be some time before there is any certainty over his father’s health.

Marsh had a heart attack after landing in Bundaberg last Thursday and was rushed to hospital after his heart stopped beating for more than four minutes.

Rod Marsh remains in an induced coma in hospital.

“He is currently in the fight of his life and remains in an induced coma in a critical condition,’’ Paul said.

“At the moment this is a waiting game and we are unlikely to have any certainty for some time.

“We know there is a lot of interest in dad’s condition and our family has been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support from all around the world. We have listened to and read everyone one of them and are incredibly grateful.

“Dad would not still be here without the bravery and quick thinking of Dave Hiller and John Glanville. We will be eternally grateful to both of them.

“We also want to thank the Bulls Masters and in particular, Jimmy Maher, Darren Lehmann, Ian Healy and Allan Border, whose love and care for our family has been extraordinary.

“The team at the Australian Cricketers Association has also been incredible and we’d like to thank Todd Greenberg, Kelly Applebee and Justine Whipper for their support.

“We’d also like to thank the ICU team at Bundaberg Hospital for their outstanding care and support.

“We will provide further updates once we have them and, in the meantime, we ask media to respect our family’s privacy as we focus on helping Dad fight this battle.’’

Australia captain Pat Cummins said from Pakistan he had not seen the statement but said “we really feel for the Marsh family and wish them all the best for a really tough situation.’’

Praying for ‘Bacchus’: Aussie cricket legend in critical condition

Rod Marsh was lauded as “the epitome of the Baggy Green cap’’ as he remained in a critical condition in a Bundaberg hospital on Friday.

Test wicketkeeping great Marsh, 74, remained in hospital after a major heart attack on Thursday with his family, including his wife Ros, bedside.

Marsh, whose heart stopped beating for several minutes on Thursday, had a stent inserted in his heart though surgeons elected not to send him to Brisbane in a plan which had been mooted on Thursday afternoon.

Best wishes flowed from cricketers around the globe with Australian Test captain Pat Cummins describing Marsh as a “great guy”.

“Obviously we wish Bacchus the best,’’ Cummins said.

“We have been trying to stay abreast of the information and it kind of hit everyone yesterday. We didn’t grow up watching Rod but in recent years being able to work with him as head selector, he was great.

“With his outlook on the game he was quite refreshing in that role, very relaxed. He backed players in. He is a great guy. Just wishing him all the best.“

Rod Marsh appeals for a wicket off Rodney Hogg.

Former teammate Rodney Hogg said the ultra-competitive Marsh is the embodiment of what it means to represent Australia.

“No-one epitomised what the Baggy Green was all about more than Rod Marsh,’’ Hogg said.

“I remember once (West Indian) Dessie Haines was giving him some lip one day and he just wouldn’t cop it.

“Even the day of the underarm delivery said a lot about Rod. You could see him shaking his head as Trevor Chappell was about to bowl it.

“He didn’t want it to happen but he respected Greg Chappell’s standing as captain and that he had the authority to make the decision.

“Just those words “caught Marsh bowled (Dennis) Lillee’’ … that’s about as good as it gets in cricket.’’

Rodney Marsh and Ian Healy in 1997.

Another keeping great, Ian Healy, said on SEN on Friday Marsh had been cleared of bleeding on the brain and that his heart was working “well.’’

Healy was one of many former glovemen to pay tribute to Marsh with long-serving Victorian keeper Darren Berry saying Marsh was his boyhood hero and he had a poster of him on the wall.

Marsh was in a car with Bulls Masters officials John Glanville and David Hillier when he had the attack and Bulls Masters boss Jimmy Maher said their quick thinking in taking him to hospital immediately saved Marsh’s life.

Marsh played 96 Tests between 1970 and 1984 before becoming an influential force beyond the boundary as head of the Australian, England and International Cricket Council academies.

EARLIER: TEAMMATES PRAY MARSH’S FIGHTING SPIRIT PREVAILS

Peter Lalor and Robert Craddock

Australian cricket legends are hoping Rod Marsh’s famous fighting qualities will rise again in the greatest fight of his life.

Test wicketkeeping legend Marsh, 74, was rushed to Bundaberg Hospital after he suffered a heart attack on Thursday en route from the airport to a hotel as a guest of the Bulls Masters cricket charity.

Two country cricket officials were lauded for saving Marsh’s life as they took him directly to hospital rather than wait for an Ambulance.

Marsh’s heart stopped beating for several minutes before emergency treatment from the doctors saved him but he remained, according to a hospital spokesman, in a critical condition.

News of Marsh’s heart attack stunned the cricket community.

“We were shocked. He’s so tough nobody could believe this could happen to Marshy,’’ former Test fast bowler Jeff Thomson told News Corp.

“He was a very brave player. You only had to see the way he faced up to the West Indian quicks without a helmet for a lot of his career to see how tough he was. That toughness could be a great thing for him now.’’

Test legends Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh pictured in 2019.

Marsh was in a car with Bulls Masters officials John Glanville and David Hillier when he had the attack and Bulls Masters boss Jimmy Maher said their quick thinking saved Marsh’s life.

“John and Dave deserve so much credit because the doctor said if they had waited for an ambulance he would not have made it,’’ said an emotional Maher.

“The medical staff at the Bundaberg Hospital were wonderful. We are all shocked. It’s terrible.

“I could not believe it. Rod landed at 10.05am and rang me from the car at about 10.30. He said he could not wait to have a beer with me.

“Then soon after that Dave rang me from the car and told me what had happened. It’s devastating.’’

Maher said Marsh had been in good spirits in the week leading up to his visit to Queensland.

“He texted me Sunday, rang me Monday and texted me yesterday. He was so looking forward to it. He is such a champion.’’

WA Cricket chief executive Christina Matthews has release a statement following Rod Marsh’s health scare.

“He’s a much-loved husband and father – and remains one of the wicketkeeping greats of our game.” pic.twitter.com/Et1tu9t7Dm

— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) February 24, 2022

The thoughts of everyone within cricket are with the family and many friends of Rod Marsh who is in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a heart attack this morning. Rod is an influential figure in Australian cricket and has been so for more than 50 years.

— Australian Cricketers' Association (@ACA_Players) February 24, 2022

Test stars Allan Border and Darren Lehmann joined Maher in the hospital waiting room.

Marsh played 96 Tests between 1970 and 1984 before becoming an influential force beyond the boundary as head of the Australian, England and International Cricket Council academies.

Another keeping great, Adam Gilchrist, Tweeted: “C’mon Bacchus (Marsh’s nickname). Hang in their buddy. #myalltimehero.’’

Marsh joined the Australian selection panel in 2011 and replaced his mentor John Inverarity as panel chairman for two years in 2014.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said: “We are very concerned to hear the news about Rod and send him all our best wishes.

“Our thoughts are with him, his wife Ros and their family and many friends at this difficult time. Rod is one of the most iconic and popular figures in the game and we thank and acknowledge those who are looking after him.”