McGrath looks to cap challenging year with Ashes triumph by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Player:	GD McGrath
Event:	England in Australia 2006/07

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DateLine: 18th November 2006

 

Glenn McGrath has his doubters heading into Ashes battle after what has been his most challenging year on and off the cricket field. Test cricket's greatest wicket-taking paceman is rising 37 and detractors have been questioning his form after coming back from eight months out of the game to care for his ill wife. Age has become an issue in pre-Ashes deliberations with the boot now on the other foot and the Australians dubbed 'Dad's Army' - nine of the team are in their thirties and for some are a few months away from retirement. That argument clearly embraces McGrath, who is five months younger than the team's senior player Shane Warne, and given the setbacks he has had to endure some former Australian Test players are querying his effectiveness heading into the opening Brisbane Ashes Test on November 23. McGrath was relegated to first-change bowler behind Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken in the one-day team for the recent Champions' Trophy in India as he struggled to find the rhythm and incisiveness that has long been his calling card. Yet he fought back taking 3-22 against New Zealand in the semi-final and 2-24 in the Champions Trophy final against the West Indies, including the wicket of Brian Lara. McGrath’s longevity in a 14-year Test career has made him one of cricket's greatest fast bowlers with 542 wickets in 119 Tests, trailing only leg-spinner Shane Warne (685) and Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (657) on the all-time list, with India spinner Anil Kumble (533) a close fourth. But McGrath is also renown as talking up a big game to back his deeds and predicts he will play a part in Australia's retention of the Ashes.

 

"We have a lot of good young bowlers coming through in Australian cricket and the time will come when I won't be around or have to make way for someone like Mitchell Johnson," McGrath said. "Obviously, I'm getting closer to the end of my career than the start, but I still feel I have a lot to offer the team. I still feel that I can contribute. Each game I've played, I've put a little piece of the puzzle back together. It's feeling pretty good and I shouldn't be too far off 100 percent." McGrath had an injury-plaqued Ashes series last year. He began with nine wickets in Australia's win at Lord's, but injured his ankle in the warm-up on the opening day of the second Test and only played in the third and fifth Tests of the series. Despite those setbacks he captured 19 wickets in the series at 23.15. Overall he has taken 136 wickets in 25 Tests against England.

 

McGrath believes his absence during the two Tests England won (second and fourth) was one of the main reasons Australia were upset. "England are not as strong as they were last year," he said. "But Australia are a lot stronger. And I'm fit, unlike last time. Put it this way, in the three Tests I played in last time, we drew two and won one. I can still remember standing there on the final day and watching them celebrate. So that's deeply ingrained in my memory and I'll be drawing a bit of inspiration from that." McGrath was left eating humble pie last year after predicting Australia would skate the series 5-0 - England won 2-1 to reclaim the Ashes for the first time in 18 years. But he insists he has even more reason to make the same bold declaration this time, claiming England have failed to progress from their incredible triumph. "I reckon it will be 5-0 this time, as well," he said. "To say anything else would be negative. If we're going to win 2-1, or 3-2, which games are we going to lose?"