Australian Marsh keen to extend Sri Lanka stay

COLOMBO,  (Reuters) – Australian Geoff Marsh said he  was keen to extend his two-year contract as Sri Lanka coach  after taking over the job yesterday.

“If Sri Lanka Cricket wants me to extend my contract till  the 2015 World Cup its open from my end for discussions,” Marsh  told reporters.

Marsh succeeded another Australian, Trevor Bayliss, who  retired after this year’s World Cup in April after coaching the  Sri Lanka team for four years.

“At the moment it’s a two-year contract and we haven’t  talked about the finish yet. Hopefully, the World Cup is  something that I love to be through having won two (as a player  and as a coach), but my immediate focus is preparing the team  for the next test match which is against Pakistan next month,”  said Marsh.

Marsh, 52, was a member of the Australian side who won the  1987 World Cup and he coached Australia when they won the  tournament again in 1999.

Marsh said he would treat all three formats of the game with  equal respect.

“We’ve got to basically sit down and plan for test cricket,  ODI cricket and T20 cricket, we won’t favour one,” said Marsh.

“Obviously the World Twenty20 is important but the most  important game we play next is the first test against Pakistan,  that’s exactly what we will be targeting,” he said.

Sri Lanka will host the ICC World Twenty20 in September  2012.
“What I’ve learnt from coaching all players is that  everyone’s an individual,” he said. “They are not robots and  every player is different.”