Dan Marsh sacked after following Cricket Tasmania’s orders

DAN Marsh was sacked for following Cricket Tasmania board directions.

Dan Marsh was given a directive to play young talent and then sacked when results were not acceptable. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

DAN Marsh was sacked for following Cricket Tasmania board directions.

The now former coach met the axe after being instructed to play the younger players and ignore the form of Tim Paine.

A CT insider has told the Sunday Tasmanian the board had directly instructed Marsh to get games and experience into the Tiger cubs, but after results did not go Tasmania’s way, dropped the axe on one of their favourite sons on Thursday after a Wednesday night board meeting.

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Paine, 32, was the Hurricanes’ second leading run scorer during the Big Bash — form strong enough to earn Australian T20 selection — and has scored hundreds at both Futures League and grade level post-BBL, while the Tigers struggled to make even a semi-competitive score in the Sheffield Shield.

But at his last press conference as coach, it is believed Marsh declared Paine would not be selected as either a specialist batsman or as the wicketkeeper as directed by the CT board.

“One thing about being a wicketkeeper-batsman is there is only one spot in the team, ‘Dores’ [Jake Doran] hasn’t had the best couple of games since the Big Bash and Painey is going well,” Marsh said last Tuesday.

“But we have put a lot of development into Jake and we were really happy with how he was going pre-Christmas.

“Bringing in some experience is a good thing. We just have to make a sure we are making the right decision at the right time.”

It is believed Marsh first got an inkling his position was in trouble when he received a text message from CT cricket general manager Andrew Dykes on Wednesday night about catching up the next day.

But leaks of the imminent sacking had already begun.

Unconfirmed reports of Marsh’s coaching demise had made its way out of Blundstone Arena before the then coach had met with Dykes.

Marsh had asked for his termination not to be confirmed until he had the chance to tell his children after school. But with the news circling, he had to pick his two children up from school to break the news to avoid them hearing via a third party.

It is understood Marsh believes the leaking of such information shows a lack of respect to him from an organisation he has represented as a player, captain and coach for more than 20 years. As a result of the leaks, Dykes is leading an internal investigation while CT is on the hunt for a new Tigers and Hurricanes coach.

A board meeting will be held on Monday night and a full independent review of its operation and structures as a result of Marsh’s sacking will begin soon.