Glenn McGrath

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Lore & Background

McGrath's reputation was built on an almost robotic adherence to his line and length. Unlike many pace bowlers who relied on variations or raw speed, he mastered the art of forcing mistakes through relentless pressure. His height (195 cm) combined with a high arm action allowed him to extract extra bounce that often surprised batsmen, while his subtle seam movement derived from a high wrist action and lengthy follow-through. During the 2004 Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, he passed Courtney Walsh to become the greatest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test history. His psychological warfare was equally potent; before the Frank Worrell series against the West Indies, he publicly stated he would dismiss Sherwin Campbell for his 299th wicket and Brian Lara for his 300th on the very next ball. He executed this plan perfectly, though he did not complete a hat-trick—he dismissed Jimmy Adams later in the innings, but not consecutively. He also targeted Michael Vaughan prior to the 2002/03 series and dismissed Mike Atherton of England 19 times in Tests—the second-most dismissals by one bowler against a single batsman in Test cricket, behind Muttiah Muralitharan's 20 dismissals of Graeme Smith.

In Their Own Story

The first Test at Lord's during the 2005 Ashes series marked a historic turning point. McGrath became the fourth bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets with the dismissal of Marcus Trescothick, sparking a productive spell of 5–2 that saw England bowled out for 155. He took 4–29 in the second innings and was named man of the match. However, injury struck before the second Test at Edgbaston when he trod on a cricket ball and injured his ankle, forcing him to miss the match where England won by two runs. Rushed back not fully fit for the third Test at Old Trafford, he earned another five-wicket haul in the second innings of a drawn game, batting in a last-wicket partnership with Brett Lee to deny an English victory. He missed the fourth Test at Trent Bridge due to an elbow injury but returned for the final Test at The Oval. Despite their efforts, Australia could not force a result, and England regained the Ashes. Later, after taking a break since April 2006, he used the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy to reclaim his spot. In his comeback innings in the first Test of the 2006–07 Ashes at the Gabba, he took a six-wicket haul, setting the tone for Australia's 5–0 whitewash and regaining the Ashes in a record-breaking 15 days.

Reader's Guide

Glenn McGrath stands as a titan of Australian fast bowling, defining an era of dominance from his debut against New Zealand at Perth in 1993–1994 through to his retirement in 2007. His career began after only eight first-class matches, capped by his selection for the Test team. He grew up in Narromine, New South Wales, where Doug Walters spotted his potential before he moved to Sydney to play grade cricket for Sutherland. His longevity was supported by an uncomplicated method and natural physical fitness; in 2004, he became the first Australian fast bowler to play 100 Tests. His final Test series was the 2006–07 Ashes, where he took 21 wickets at an average of 23.90. He announced his retirement from Tests on 23 December 2006, with his career ending after taking a wicket with the last ball of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January 2007. Following the successful 2007 Cricket World Cup, where he took 26 wickets and was named player of the tournament, he retired from all international cricket. He later played for the Delhi DareDevils in the 2008 Indian Premier League, becoming the team's most economical bowler before his contract was bought out in January 2010.

Did You Know?

• McGrath holds the record for the most wickets taken in Cricket World Cup history with 71.
• He dismissed Mike Atherton of England 19 times in Tests, the second-most dismissals by a single bowler against one batsman in Test cricket history (Muttiah Muralitharan leads with 20 dismissals of Graeme Smith).
• In the 2003 World Cup final, Brett Lee took the winning wicket of Zaheer Khan; McGrath was named man-of-the-tournament in 2007 for taking 26 wickets.
• He made his first-ever first-class half-century (55 runs) while playing for Worcestershire against Nottinghamshire.
• McGrath replaced Dennis Lillee as the director of the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai after Lillee served for 25 years.