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Glenn McGrath

Glenn Donald McGrath AM (/məˈɡrɑː/; born 9 February 1970) is an Australian former international cricketer who played international cricket for 14 years. He was a fast-medium pace bowler and is considered one of the greatest international bowlers of all time,[1] and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the late-2000s.[2][3]

Glenn McGrath

AM
McGrath in the Queen's Baton Relay in Sydney, 3 March 2018
Personal information
Full name
Glenn Donald McGrath
Born (1970-02-09) 9 February 1970 (age 52)
Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia
NicknamePigeon
Height197 cm (6 ft 6 in)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 358)12 November 1993 v New Zealand
Last Test2 January 2007 v England
ODI debut (cap 113)9 December 1993 v South Africa
Last ODI28 April 2007 v Sri Lanka
ODI shirt no.11
T20I debut (cap 9)17 February 2005 v New Zealand
Last T20I13 June 2005 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1992/93–2007/08New South Wales (squad no. 11)
2000Worcestershire
2004Middlesex
2008–2010Delhi Daredevils
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 124 250 189 305
Runs scored 641 115 977 124
Batting average 7.36 3.83 7.75 3.35
100s/50s 0/1 0/0 0/2 0/0
Top score 61 11 61 11
Balls bowled 29,248 12,970 41,759 15,808
Wickets 563 381 835 465
Bowling average 21.64 22.02 20.85 21.60
5 wickets in innings 29 7 42 7
10 wickets in match 3 0 7 0
Best bowling 8/24 7/15 8/24 7/15
Catches/stumpings 38/– 37/– 54/– 48/–
Source: CricInfo, 2 August 2017

Known throughout his career for maintaining an accurate line and length, McGrath displayed a consistency that enabled him to be one of the most economical and successful fast bowlers of his time. In terms of total career Test wickets taken by fast bowlers, McGrath is the third-most successful of all time behind James Anderson and Stuart Broad. On the list of all Test bowlers, he is fifth, and no bowler has taken more wickets at a lower average.[4] He has also taken the seventh-highest number of one day international wickets (381) and holds the record for most wickets (71) in the Cricket World Cup.[5] McGrath announced his retirement from Test cricket on 23 December 2006,[6] with his Test career coming to an end after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January 2007, while the 2007 World Cup, which marked the end of his one-day career, saw him win the man-of-the-tournament award for his outstanding bowling, which was instrumental in Australia winning the tournament.[7]

McGrath later played for the Indian Premier League team of the Delhi DareDevils and was one of the competition's most economical bowlers during its first season,[8] but he saw no action in the second season, ultimately having his contract bought out.

McGrath is the director of MRF Pace Foundation, Chennai, replacing Dennis Lillee, who served for 25 years.[9] He currently serves as president of the McGrath Foundation, a breast cancer support and education charity he founded with his late first wife, Jane.

McGrath was honoured during the seventh annual Bradman Awards in Sydney on 1 November 2012.[10] He was inducted into the ICC Hall of fame in January 2013.[11]

Career

Early years

McGrath was born in Dubbo to Beverly and Kevin McGrath.[12] He grew up in Narromine, New South Wales (NSW), where he first played cricket, and his potential was spotted by Doug Walters.[13] He moved to Sydney to play grade cricket for Sutherland and made his debut for NSW during the 1992–93 season. McGrath capped his rapid rise in the next Australian summer with selection in the Test team after only eight first-class matches.[14]

McGrath's Test debut was against New Zealand at Perth in 1993–1994. In Australia's 1995 Test series victory McGrath took the approach of bouncing the West Indies team, including the bowlers, which had not happened before. In McGrath's biography, Ricky Ponting is quoted as saying:

I remember thinking Glenn's decision to take on the West Indies bowlers sent out a positive message to the West Indies that the Australian side was really up for it. Ambrose, Walsh, Kenny Benjamin had never been treated like that before. It made the West Indies sit back and think, 'This Australian team is fair dinkum—they're really up for it.' Even if you aren't the murder boys of cricket, you can show little things to let the opposition know you are serious. It might be the way you warm up, how you dress to go to the ground. Perception can be enormous. If you can give off the right signals to (a) bluffing them or (b) showing them what you're all about. McGrath, at that stage of his career, showed them what he was all about. His body language and the way he looked at their batsman — the wry smile — it sent a signal to the batsman and his own team-mates that he knew what he was doing.[15]

County cricket in England

McGrath played for Worcestershire in the 2000 English County Championship, proving both successful on the field and popular with the county's supporters. In 14 first-class games he took 80 wickets at 13.21, including an outstanding innings return of 8–41 against Northamptonshire, as well as making his first-ever first-class half-century (55 against Nottinghamshire). He also played a few games for Middlesex in 2004; although accurate, he could manage only nine wickets in four first-class appearances for the county.

Against England (Ashes 2005 and 2006/07)

During the first Test at Lord's in the 2005 Ashes series McGrath became the fourth bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets with the dismissal of Marcus Trescothick. This wicket was also the start of a productive spell of 5–2 that led to England being bowled out for 155. McGrath took 4–29 in the second innings and was named man of the match in a comprehensive Australian victory.

 
McGrath at a Test match at the SCG in 2007

McGrath trod on a cricket ball and injured his ankle the morning before the start of the second Test at Edgbaston and was unable to play in the match, in which England amassed 407 runs in one day against the McGrath-less bowling attack to win by two runs. He was rushed back when not fully fit for the third Test at Old Trafford, where he earned another five-wicket haul in the second innings of a drawn game, batting in a last-wicket partnership with Brett Lee in the last hour of the Test to deny an English victory. He then missed the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, which England won by three wickets, with an elbow injury. McGrath returned for the final Test at The Oval but he and the rest of the Australian team were unable to force a result and the match was drawn, giving England the series win. McGrath's injury problems are seen as a key factor in England regaining the Ashes, as their victories came in matches in which he was absent.[16]

Australia hosted England in the 2006-07 Ashes series and regained the Ashes, beating England 5–0, only the second 5–0 series whitewash in Ashes history (the first time was by the Australian team during the 1920–1921 Ashes Series, and the later 2013–14 Ashes series). Having taken a break from cricket since April 2006, McGrath used the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy to reclaim his spot in Australia's Test XI. He took a six-wicket haul in his comeback innings in the first test at the Gabba to set the tone for the rest of the series, with Australia winning back the Ashes in a record-breaking 15 days of play.[citation needed] McGrath took 21 wickets in the series at an average of 23.90, and scored 10 runs and took a catch in what would be his final test series.[citation needed]

In his biography McGrath wrote:

There was an incredible sense of emotion and elation as I walked around the Sydney Cricket Ground with my team-mates, holding hands with my children, James and Holly. I didn't feel the slightest sense of sadness about retiring. I knew I'd reached the end; my body told me that. And even more importantly, I'd realised that those special moments I was missing in the life and times of my family were too great ... the moments had become weeks at a time, and I didn't like it.[17]

Retirement

 
McGrath in his final test series – the 2006-07 Ashes series

On 23 December 2006, McGrath announced his retirement from Tests. His last Test was the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney in January 2007,[18] where he took a wicket with the last ball of his Test career. He retired from all forms of international cricket following the successful 2007 Cricket World Cup, at which he became the leading wicket taker in the history of the World Cup, while also being the tournament's top wicket taker with 26 and being named player of the tournament.[citation needed] He was named in the 'Team of the Tournament' by ESPNCricinfo for the 2007 World Cup.[19] His spell of 3–18 against South Africa was named as the fifth-best ODI bowling performance of the year by ESPNCricinfo voters.[20]

Indian Premier League

McGrath was signed by the Delhi DareDevils for the 2008 Indian Premier League, the first season of the Indian Premier League.[21] He played in 14 matches for the side and was the team's most economic bowler during the competition. He was resigned for the 2009 competition but did not play a match. After playing twice for Delhi in the 2009 Champions League Twenty20, in January 2010 the franchise announced that it had bought out the remaining year of McGrath's contract, effectively bringing his cricketing career to an end.[22]

Playing style

Bowling

 
McGrath bowling a wicket-taking ball to Kevin Pietersen at the SCG in 2007

McGrath's bowling was not of express pace. Rather, he relied on unerring accuracy and subtle seam movement, which he derived from his high wrist action and lengthy follow-through.[23][24] His height (195 cm), combined with a high arm action, allowed him to extract extra bounce, which often surprised batsmen. In the later years of his career he developed as a swing bowler.[25]

His uncomplicated method and natural physical fitness were significant factors in the longevity of McGrath's career. In 2004, he became the first Australian fast bowler to play 100 Tests.[26] In the first innings of the ICC Super Series Test match in 2005, McGrath passed Courtney Walsh to become the greatest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test history.[27]

 
A graph showing McGrath's test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time

McGrath was regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the world and has had success against every opposition team, in both Test and one-day cricket. He deliberately (and publicly) targeted the opposition's best batsmen prior to a series in an attempt to distract them, a ploy that regularly worked. At the beginning of the Frank Worrell series against the West Indies he stated in interviews before the match that he would dismiss Sherwin Campbell for his 299th wicket, then remove star batsman Brian Lara for his 300th wicket the very next ball. This happened as planned, and he followed this with the dismissal of captain Jimmy Adams to complete a memorable hat-trick. The targeting of opposition batsmen was generally successful; he dismissed Mike Atherton of England 19 times – the most times any batsman has been dismissed by one bowler in cricket history. On the other hand, he targeted Michael Vaughan prior to the 2002/03 Ashes series in Australia, with Vaughan going on to score three centuries at an average greater than 60. He targeted Andrew Strauss in the 2005 series in England, who went on to score two centuries.

He also tended to engage in sledging of opposition batsmen and teams, though it didn't always pay off. Before the 2005 Ashes series he predicted a 5–0 whitewash for Australia, and even said that if England won the Ashes he would return to Australia by boat, but England prevailed 2–1. However, this did not dissuade him from making a similar 5–0 prediction for the next Ashes series, in Australia in 2006/07, which turned out to be true. He finished his career as the most successful Test fast bowler and third-highest Test wicket taker.

Fielding

 
Glenn McGrath's Test career batting performance

McGrath was not known as a competent outfielder but he had a strong and accurate throwing arm; while not known for his athleticism, he took an exceptional outfield catch on one memorable occasion in 2002 at the Adelaide Oval against England, dismissing English batsman Michael Vaughan from the bowling of Shane Warne, running many metres before leaping into the air and catching the ball with arms outstretched and body horizontal.[28] His captain, Steve Waugh, described the famous catch as "a miracle" and "one of the great catches in history".

Batting

Mark Taylor: Average of 6.5 from McGrath and that has grown throughout his career. It was sub 2 at one stage.

Ian Healy: Langer [is] very bored reading a book, Gilchrist getting ready to keep. The rest [have] not much faith in McGrath and Gillespie and their partnership.

-- Mark Taylor and Ian Healy commentary in the opening stages of McGrath's career best 61 run innings.[29]

McGrath's batting prowess, in the early phases of his career, was poor; in fact, he scored first-ball ducks (zero runs) on both his Test[30] and One-Day International[31] debuts, and his batting average hovered below 4 for the first few years of his career. Years of patient tutelage from captain and friend Steve Waugh improved this aspect of his game to the point where he scored a Test half-century, which came on 20 November 2004[32] at the Gabba. His final score in that innings was 61, sharing a last wicket stand of 114 with Jason Gillespie (54*) to hilarity and the acclaim of their team-mates.[29] Nevertheless, McGrath was, for the duration of his career, regarded as a batting 'bunny', although he pushed his average above 7.00 runs/dismissal by the end of his career. In the first World Cricket Tsunami Appeal charity match, he was promoted to bat at number 6 ahead of specialist batsmen Stephen Fleming and Matthew Hayden, but was dismissed first ball trying to slog Muttiah Muralitharan. Towards the end of his international career McGrath, while not scoring many runs himself, became rather more difficult for opposing bowlers to dismiss, being dismissed only once during the 2005 Ashes series. With a contribution of 11 runs in the first innings of the MCG 2005 Boxing Day Test versus South Africa,[33] he stood his ground for 53 deliveries, helping Michael Hussey push the Australian tail to a record tenth-wicket stand against South Africa of 107 runs.

Career best performances

Personal life

Glenn's first wife, Jane Louise (née Steele), was born in the United Kingdom and had worked as a flight attendant before their marriage. Glenn and Jane met at a Hong Kong nightclub called "Joe Bananas" in 1995, and married in 2001. They had two children. Jane McGrath fought recurrent battles with metastatic breast cancer, having been first diagnosed in 1997. On 26 January 2008 (Australia Day) Glenn and Jane McGrath were both made Members of the Order of Australia. Jane McGrath died, aged 42, on 22 June 2008 from complications following cancer surgery.[38]

Glenn McGrath met Sara Leonardi, an interior designer, during the 2009 Indian Premier League. They married at home in Cronulla on 18 November 2010.[39] In April 2011 McGrath put his home on the market for $6 million.[40] Their daughter was born in 2015.[41]

In 2015 McGrath received widespread criticism when it was revealed he had killed a variety of animals during a hunting safari in South Africa.[42] Photographs of McGrath appeared on the website of Chipitani Safaris, a game park, showing him crouched beside what looked to be a dead buffalo, two hyenas and the tusks of an elephant.[43] He subsequently expressed his regret.[44][45] McGrath had earlier told Australian Shooter magazine that "I’m keen to get into trophy hunting, no animal in particular, but a big safari in Africa would be great."[46]

McGrath Foundation

 
McGrath in 2011, wearing the pink of the McGrath Foundation

In 2002 Glenn and Jane founded the McGrath Foundation, a breast cancer support and education charity in Australia, which raises money to fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia and increase breast cancer awareness in young women. Since 2007, the third day of the first Test held in Sydney Cricket Ground is named Jane McGrath Day, even if the day is washed out.[47] Following the death of Jane in June 2008, Glenn accepted the voluntary role of chairman of the Board of the McGrath Foundation, and he participates in many activities in support of the Foundation to ensure the fulfilment of its vision.[48] As of April 2016, the McGrath Foundation has placed 110 McGrath Breast Care Nurses around Australia, who have helped support more than 33,000 Australian families.[38]

Honours

In 2001, McGrath was one of just twenty-one Australian athletes inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport Best of the Best list.[49]

He was awarded the Allan Border Medal and the Men's Test Player of the Year by CA in 2000.[50] He was also awarded the Men's ODI Player of the Year in 2001.

McGrath was named a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January (Australia Day) in 2008 for "service to cricket as a player", and along with his wife for "service to the community through the establishment of the McGrath Foundation."[51] In 2008 McGrath was named the NSW Australian of the Year.[48]

McGrath was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2011, and the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in January 2013.[11][52][53] He was also inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame by the CA in 2013.[50]

He was named as a bowler in Australia's "greatest ever ODI team."[54] In a fan poll conducted by the CA in 2017, he was named in the country's best Ashes XI in the last 40 years.[55]

A statue of McGrath by artist Brett "Mon" Garling was installed at McGrath's home town of Narromine in 2009.[56]

Records

McGrath was twice involved in tenth wicket partnerships which added 100 runs or more, a record matched only by New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle.[57]

At the time of his retirement, McGrath's 7 for 15 against Namibia were the best bowling figures in a World Cup match, and the second-best in all ODIs. He also held the record for the most wickets in an edition of the World Cup (26 in 2007) until this was broken by Mitchell Starc in 2019.[58]

After his dismissal for a duck in the fourth test of the 2006–2007 Ashes series, McGrath claimed the record of having scored more ducks in Test cricket than any other Australian cricketer (35 – one more than Shane Warne).[59]

McGrath held the record for dismissing the most batsmen for ducks in Test cricket (104),[60] until it was surpassed by James Anderson in 2021.[61]

Bibliography

  • McGrath, Glenn; Lane, Daniel (2008). Glenn McGrath: Line and Strength – The Complete Story. Random House. ISBN 978-1-74166-719-6. : the book includes a postscript by McGrath's late wife Jane.[62]

References

  1. ^ "All Time Greatest Australian Test Team". ESPNcricinfo. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  2. ^ "Glenn McGrath's Brilliant Career". ESPNcricinfo. 5 January 2007.
  3. ^ "Glenn McGrath ESPNcricinfo Profile". ESPNcricinfo.
  4. ^ "Bowlers taking 300 wickets". Howstat. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Most wickets taken in an ICC World Cup career (male)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Glenn McGrath To Retire After World Cup". Cricinfo. 23 December 2006.
  7. ^ "McGrath eyes perfect one-day finish". Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 December 2006.
  8. ^ . Stats.cricinfo.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009.
  9. ^ India Cricket News: Glenn McGrath replaces Dennis Lillee at MRF Pace Foundation, espncricinfo.com; retrieved 23 December 2013.
  10. ^ . Wisden India. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  11. ^ a b . Wisden India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  12. ^ . 2 October 2006. Archived from the original on 2 October 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  13. ^ "Cricketing great's career nearly didn't start". abc.net.au. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  14. ^ . Hindustantimes.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
  15. ^ McGrath and Lane (2008), pp. 133–34.
  16. ^ Gough, Martin (25 August 2005). "Overstepping the mark". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  17. ^ McGrath and Lane (2008), p. xv.
  18. ^ NineMSN News Article 3 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 17 May 2007
  19. ^ "And the winners are ..." ESPNcricinfo. 30 April 2007.
  20. ^ "Readers' picks". Cricinfo. 30 January 2008.
  21. ^ Earle, Richard (17 December 2007). "Rich life becoming even richer for Glenn McGrath". The Herald Sun.
  22. ^ "Little activity in IPL transfer window | Cricket News | Indian Premier League 2010 | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo.com. 5 January 2010.
  23. ^ "A tale of two metronomes". Cricinfo. 21 July 2005.
  24. ^ Neville Kenyon (4 January 2012). "Glenn McGrath Cricket Bowling Masterclass_ Cricket Show 04-01-2012 .mov". YouTube. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021.
  25. ^ "Natural Born Killer – Glenn McGrath's New Road". Cricinfo.
  26. ^ An ironman of the land, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 16 October 2007
  27. ^ Cricinfo Profile, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 16 October 2007
  28. ^ 'We were just laughing': The McGrath-Gillespie batting masterclass on YouTube, Cricket Australia
  29. ^ a b 'We were just laughing': The McGrath-Gillespie batting masterclass on YouTube, Cricket Australia
  30. ^ "Full Scorecard of Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test 1993 - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo.com. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  31. ^ "Full Scorecard of Australia vs South Africa, Australian Tri Series (CB Series), 1st Match - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo.com. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  32. ^ "Full Scorecard of Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test 2004 - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo.com. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  33. ^ "Full Scorecard of Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test 2005 - Score Report". ESPNcricinfo.com. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  34. ^ a b "Pakistan tour of Australia, 2004/05 – Australia v Pakistan Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  35. ^ a b "ICC World Cup, 31st Match, 2003 – Australia v Namibia Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. 27 February 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  36. ^ "Australia tour of England and Scotland, 2005 – England v Australia Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  37. ^ "Indian Premier League, 2008 – Daredevils v Royal Challengers Scorecard". ESPNcricinfo. 30 April 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  38. ^ a b . McGrath Foundation. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008.
  39. ^ "Tabloid magazines get cheque-books out for Glenn McGrath and Sara Leonardi's wedding". Herald Sun. 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  40. ^ "See inside McGrath's $6m palace". 7 April 2011.
  41. ^ "Glenn McGrath and wife Sara welcome baby girl". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  42. ^ Nicholson, Larissa (21 February 2015). "Glenn McGrath: Former cricketer regrets shooting wildlife on safari". smh.com.au. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  43. ^ Nicholson, Larissa (22 February 2015). "Glenn McGrath: Former cricketer regrets shooting wildlife on safari". The Age.
  44. ^ McGrath, Glenn. "Please see my response below". twitter.com. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  45. ^ Harry Tucker & Sherine Conyers (22 February 2015). "Glenn McGrath hunting photos backlash. Brett Lee images emerge". news.com.au. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  46. ^ Leto, Adam. "Glenn McGrath: Straight shooter". Australian Shooter: 18–20.
  47. ^ "Magellan Ashes Test, Sydney - Australia v England Tickets". premier.ticketek.com.au. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  48. ^ a b "McGrath Foundation Family: Glenn McGrath AM, Co-Founder and Chairman". Official site. McGrath Foundation. 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  49. ^ . Archived from the original on 23 March 2012.
  50. ^ a b "Australian Cricket Awards: 2000 Award Winners". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  51. ^ "It's an Honour website". Australian Government. 2008. Retrieved 26 January 2008.
  52. ^ "Glenn McGrath". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  53. ^ "ICC news: McGrath makes it to ICC Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  54. ^ Daily Times (28 February 2007). "Australia names greatest ODI team". Retrieved 1 March 2007.
  55. ^ "The Best Australian Ashes XI revealed". CA. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
  56. ^ Rowles, Lucy (7 June 2009). "Cricket star humbled by statue in his honour". Daily Liberal. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  57. ^ "Records - Test matches - Partnership records - Highest partnership for the tenth wicket". Cricinfo.com. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  58. ^ "Bowing out on top". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  59. ^ Cricmania Stats (follow link with caution; potentially malicious site) 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  60. ^ "Dishing out ducks, and a dearth of right-handers". cricinfo.com. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  61. ^ Albert, R. W. "James Anderson breaks Glenn McGrath's record of dismissing most players for ducks in Tests". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  62. ^ . news.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2008.

External links

  • Glenn McGrath at IMDb
Preceded by World Cup Player of the Series winner
2007
Succeeded by

glenn, mcgrath, glenn, donald, mcgrath, ɑː, born, february, 1970, australian, former, international, cricketer, played, international, cricket, years, fast, medium, pace, bowler, considered, greatest, international, bowlers, time, leading, contributor, austral. Glenn Donald McGrath AM m e ˈ ɡ r ɑː born 9 February 1970 is an Australian former international cricketer who played international cricket for 14 years He was a fast medium pace bowler and is considered one of the greatest international bowlers of all time 1 and a leading contributor to Australia s domination of world cricket from the mid 1990s to the late 2000s 2 3 Glenn McGrathAMMcGrath in the Queen s Baton Relay in Sydney 3 March 2018Personal informationFull nameGlenn Donald McGrathBorn 1970 02 09 9 February 1970 age 52 Dubbo New South Wales AustraliaNicknamePigeonHeight197 cm 6 ft 6 in BattingRight handedBowlingRight arm fast mediumRoleBowlerInternational informationNational sideAustralia 1993 2007 Test debut cap 358 12 November 1993 v New ZealandLast Test2 January 2007 v EnglandODI debut cap 113 9 December 1993 v South AfricaLast ODI28 April 2007 v Sri LankaODI shirt no 11T20I debut cap 9 17 February 2005 v New ZealandLast T20I13 June 2005 v EnglandDomestic team informationYearsTeam1992 93 2007 08New South Wales squad no 11 2000Worcestershire2004Middlesex2008 2010Delhi DaredevilsCareer statisticsCompetition Test ODI FC LAMatches 124 250 189 305Runs scored 641 115 977 124Batting average 7 36 3 83 7 75 3 35100s 50s 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0Top score 61 11 61 11Balls bowled 29 248 12 970 41 759 15 808Wickets 563 381 835 465Bowling average 21 64 22 02 20 85 21 605 wickets in innings 29 7 42 710 wickets in match 3 0 7 0Best bowling 8 24 7 15 8 24 7 15Catches stumpings 38 37 54 48 Source CricInfo 2 August 2017Known throughout his career for maintaining an accurate line and length McGrath displayed a consistency that enabled him to be one of the most economical and successful fast bowlers of his time In terms of total career Test wickets taken by fast bowlers McGrath is the third most successful of all time behind James Anderson and Stuart Broad On the list of all Test bowlers he is fifth and no bowler has taken more wickets at a lower average 4 He has also taken the seventh highest number of one day international wickets 381 and holds the record for most wickets 71 in the Cricket World Cup 5 McGrath announced his retirement from Test cricket on 23 December 2006 6 with his Test career coming to an end after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January 2007 while the 2007 World Cup which marked the end of his one day career saw him win the man of the tournament award for his outstanding bowling which was instrumental in Australia winning the tournament 7 McGrath later played for the Indian Premier League team of the Delhi DareDevils and was one of the competition s most economical bowlers during its first season 8 but he saw no action in the second season ultimately having his contract bought out McGrath is the director of MRF Pace Foundation Chennai replacing Dennis Lillee who served for 25 years 9 He currently serves as president of the McGrath Foundation a breast cancer support and education charity he founded with his late first wife Jane McGrath was honoured during the seventh annual Bradman Awards in Sydney on 1 November 2012 10 He was inducted into the ICC Hall of fame in January 2013 11 Contents 1 Career 1 1 Early years 1 2 County cricket in England 1 3 Against England Ashes 2005 and 2006 07 1 4 Retirement 1 5 Indian Premier League 2 Playing style 2 1 Bowling 2 2 Fielding 2 3 Batting 3 Career best performances 4 Personal life 5 McGrath Foundation 6 Honours 7 Records 8 Bibliography 9 References 10 External linksCareer EditEarly years Edit McGrath was born in Dubbo to Beverly and Kevin McGrath 12 He grew up in Narromine New South Wales NSW where he first played cricket and his potential was spotted by Doug Walters 13 He moved to Sydney to play grade cricket for Sutherland and made his debut for NSW during the 1992 93 season McGrath capped his rapid rise in the next Australian summer with selection in the Test team after only eight first class matches 14 McGrath s Test debut was against New Zealand at Perth in 1993 1994 In Australia s 1995 Test series victory McGrath took the approach of bouncing the West Indies team including the bowlers which had not happened before In McGrath s biography Ricky Ponting is quoted as saying I remember thinking Glenn s decision to take on the West Indies bowlers sent out a positive message to the West Indies that the Australian side was really up for it Ambrose Walsh Kenny Benjamin had never been treated like that before It made the West Indies sit back and think This Australian team is fair dinkum they re really up for it Even if you aren t the murder boys of cricket you can show little things to let the opposition know you are serious It might be the way you warm up how you dress to go to the ground Perception can be enormous If you can give off the right signals to a bluffing them or b showing them what you re all about McGrath at that stage of his career showed them what he was all about His body language and the way he looked at their batsman the wry smile it sent a signal to the batsman and his own team mates that he knew what he was doing 15 County cricket in England Edit McGrath played for Worcestershire in the 2000 English County Championship proving both successful on the field and popular with the county s supporters In 14 first class games he took 80 wickets at 13 21 including an outstanding innings return of 8 41 against Northamptonshire as well as making his first ever first class half century 55 against Nottinghamshire He also played a few games for Middlesex in 2004 although accurate he could manage only nine wickets in four first class appearances for the county Against England Ashes 2005 and 2006 07 Edit During the first Test at Lord s in the 2005 Ashes series McGrath became the fourth bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets with the dismissal of Marcus Trescothick This wicket was also the start of a productive spell of 5 2 that led to England being bowled out for 155 McGrath took 4 29 in the second innings and was named man of the match in a comprehensive Australian victory McGrath at a Test match at the SCG in 2007 McGrath trod on a cricket ball and injured his ankle the morning before the start of the second Test at Edgbaston and was unable to play in the match in which England amassed 407 runs in one day against the McGrath less bowling attack to win by two runs He was rushed back when not fully fit for the third Test at Old Trafford where he earned another five wicket haul in the second innings of a drawn game batting in a last wicket partnership with Brett Lee in the last hour of the Test to deny an English victory He then missed the fourth Test at Trent Bridge which England won by three wickets with an elbow injury McGrath returned for the final Test at The Oval but he and the rest of the Australian team were unable to force a result and the match was drawn giving England the series win McGrath s injury problems are seen as a key factor in England regaining the Ashes as their victories came in matches in which he was absent 16 Australia hosted England in the 2006 07 Ashes series and regained the Ashes beating England 5 0 only the second 5 0 series whitewash in Ashes history the first time was by the Australian team during the 1920 1921 Ashes Series and the later 2013 14 Ashes series Having taken a break from cricket since April 2006 McGrath used the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy to reclaim his spot in Australia s Test XI He took a six wicket haul in his comeback innings in the first test at the Gabba to set the tone for the rest of the series with Australia winning back the Ashes in a record breaking 15 days of play citation needed McGrath took 21 wickets in the series at an average of 23 90 and scored 10 runs and took a catch in what would be his final test series citation needed In his biography McGrath wrote There was an incredible sense of emotion and elation as I walked around the Sydney Cricket Ground with my team mates holding hands with my children James and Holly I didn t feel the slightest sense of sadness about retiring I knew I d reached the end my body told me that And even more importantly I d realised that those special moments I was missing in the life and times of my family were too great the moments had become weeks at a time and I didn t like it 17 Retirement Edit McGrath in his final test series the 2006 07 Ashes series On 23 December 2006 McGrath announced his retirement from Tests His last Test was the fifth Ashes Test against England in Sydney in January 2007 18 where he took a wicket with the last ball of his Test career He retired from all forms of international cricket following the successful 2007 Cricket World Cup at which he became the leading wicket taker in the history of the World Cup while also being the tournament s top wicket taker with 26 and being named player of the tournament citation needed He was named in the Team of the Tournament by ESPNCricinfo for the 2007 World Cup 19 His spell of 3 18 against South Africa was named as the fifth best ODI bowling performance of the year by ESPNCricinfo voters 20 Indian Premier League Edit McGrath was signed by the Delhi DareDevils for the 2008 Indian Premier League the first season of the Indian Premier League 21 He played in 14 matches for the side and was the team s most economic bowler during the competition He was resigned for the 2009 competition but did not play a match After playing twice for Delhi in the 2009 Champions League Twenty20 in January 2010 the franchise announced that it had bought out the remaining year of McGrath s contract effectively bringing his cricketing career to an end 22 Playing style EditBowling Edit McGrath bowling a wicket taking ball to Kevin Pietersen at the SCG in 2007 McGrath s bowling was not of express pace Rather he relied on unerring accuracy and subtle seam movement which he derived from his high wrist action and lengthy follow through 23 24 His height 195 cm combined with a high arm action allowed him to extract extra bounce which often surprised batsmen In the later years of his career he developed as a swing bowler 25 His uncomplicated method and natural physical fitness were significant factors in the longevity of McGrath s career In 2004 he became the first Australian fast bowler to play 100 Tests 26 In the first innings of the ICC Super Series Test match in 2005 McGrath passed Courtney Walsh to become the greatest wicket taker among fast bowlers in Test history 27 A graph showing McGrath s test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time McGrath was regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in the world and has had success against every opposition team in both Test and one day cricket He deliberately and publicly targeted the opposition s best batsmen prior to a series in an attempt to distract them a ploy that regularly worked At the beginning of the Frank Worrell series against the West Indies he stated in interviews before the match that he would dismiss Sherwin Campbell for his 299th wicket then remove star batsman Brian Lara for his 300th wicket the very next ball This happened as planned and he followed this with the dismissal of captain Jimmy Adams to complete a memorable hat trick The targeting of opposition batsmen was generally successful he dismissed Mike Atherton of England 19 times the most times any batsman has been dismissed by one bowler in cricket history On the other hand he targeted Michael Vaughan prior to the 2002 03 Ashes series in Australia with Vaughan going on to score three centuries at an average greater than 60 He targeted Andrew Strauss in the 2005 series in England who went on to score two centuries He also tended to engage in sledging of opposition batsmen and teams though it didn t always pay off Before the 2005 Ashes series he predicted a 5 0 whitewash for Australia and even said that if England won the Ashes he would return to Australia by boat but England prevailed 2 1 However this did not dissuade him from making a similar 5 0 prediction for the next Ashes series in Australia in 2006 07 which turned out to be true He finished his career as the most successful Test fast bowler and third highest Test wicket taker Fielding Edit Glenn McGrath s Test career batting performance McGrath was not known as a competent outfielder but he had a strong and accurate throwing arm while not known for his athleticism he took an exceptional outfield catch on one memorable occasion in 2002 at the Adelaide Oval against England dismissing English batsman Michael Vaughan from the bowling of Shane Warne running many metres before leaping into the air and catching the ball with arms outstretched and body horizontal 28 His captain Steve Waugh described the famous catch as a miracle and one of the great catches in history Batting Edit Mark Taylor Average of 6 5 from McGrath and that has grown throughout his career It was sub 2 at one stage Ian Healy Langer is very bored reading a book Gilchrist getting ready to keep The rest have not much faith in McGrath and Gillespie and their partnership Mark Taylor and Ian Healy commentary in the opening stages of McGrath s career best 61 run innings 29 McGrath s batting prowess in the early phases of his career was poor in fact he scored first ball ducks zero runs on both his Test 30 and One Day International 31 debuts and his batting average hovered below 4 for the first few years of his career Years of patient tutelage from captain and friend Steve Waugh improved this aspect of his game to the point where he scored a Test half century which came on 20 November 2004 32 at the Gabba His final score in that innings was 61 sharing a last wicket stand of 114 with Jason Gillespie 54 to hilarity and the acclaim of their team mates 29 Nevertheless McGrath was for the duration of his career regarded as a batting bunny although he pushed his average above 7 00 runs dismissal by the end of his career In the first World Cricket Tsunami Appeal charity match he was promoted to bat at number 6 ahead of specialist batsmen Stephen Fleming and Matthew Hayden but was dismissed first ball trying to slog Muttiah Muralitharan Towards the end of his international career McGrath while not scoring many runs himself became rather more difficult for opposing bowlers to dismiss being dismissed only once during the 2005 Ashes series With a contribution of 11 runs in the first innings of the MCG 2005 Boxing Day Test versus South Africa 33 he stood his ground for 53 deliveries helping Michael Hussey push the Australian tail to a record tenth wicket stand against South Africa of 107 runs Career best performances EditBowling innings Figures Fixture Venue SeasonTest 8 24 v Pakistan WACA Perth 2004 34 ODI 7 15 v Namibia North West Cricket Stadium Potchefstroom 2003 35 T20I 3 31 v England Rose Bowl Southampton 2005 36 FC 8 24 v Pakistan WACA Perth 2004 34 LA 7 15 v Namibia North West Cricket Stadium Potchefstroom 2003 35 T20 4 29 v Royal Challengers Bangalore Feroz Shah Kotla Delhi 2008 37 Personal life EditMain article Jane McGrath Glenn s first wife Jane Louise nee Steele was born in the United Kingdom and had worked as a flight attendant before their marriage Glenn and Jane met at a Hong Kong nightclub called Joe Bananas in 1995 and married in 2001 They had two children Jane McGrath fought recurrent battles with metastatic breast cancer having been first diagnosed in 1997 On 26 January 2008 Australia Day Glenn and Jane McGrath were both made Members of the Order of Australia Jane McGrath died aged 42 on 22 June 2008 from complications following cancer surgery 38 Glenn McGrath met Sara Leonardi an interior designer during the 2009 Indian Premier League They married at home in Cronulla on 18 November 2010 39 In April 2011 McGrath put his home on the market for 6 million 40 Their daughter was born in 2015 41 In 2015 McGrath received widespread criticism when it was revealed he had killed a variety of animals during a hunting safari in South Africa 42 Photographs of McGrath appeared on the website of Chipitani Safaris a game park showing him crouched beside what looked to be a dead buffalo two hyenas and the tusks of an elephant 43 He subsequently expressed his regret 44 45 McGrath had earlier told Australian Shooter magazine that I m keen to get into trophy hunting no animal in particular but a big safari in Africa would be great 46 McGrath Foundation Edit McGrath in 2011 wearing the pink of the McGrath Foundation Main article McGrath Foundation In 2002 Glenn and Jane founded the McGrath Foundation a breast cancer support and education charity in Australia which raises money to fund McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia and increase breast cancer awareness in young women Since 2007 the third day of the first Test held in Sydney Cricket Ground is named Jane McGrath Day even if the day is washed out 47 Following the death of Jane in June 2008 Glenn accepted the voluntary role of chairman of the Board of the McGrath Foundation and he participates in many activities in support of the Foundation to ensure the fulfilment of its vision 48 As of April 2016 the McGrath Foundation has placed 110 McGrath Breast Care Nurses around Australia who have helped support more than 33 000 Australian families 38 Honours EditIn 2001 McGrath was one of just twenty one Australian athletes inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport Best of the Best list 49 He was awarded the Allan Border Medal and the Men s Test Player of the Year by CA in 2000 50 He was also awarded the Men s ODI Player of the Year in 2001 McGrath was named a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January Australia Day in 2008 for service to cricket as a player and along with his wife for service to the community through the establishment of the McGrath Foundation 51 In 2008 McGrath was named the NSW Australian of the Year 48 McGrath was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2011 and the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in January 2013 11 52 53 He was also inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame by the CA in 2013 50 He was named as a bowler in Australia s greatest ever ODI team 54 In a fan poll conducted by the CA in 2017 he was named in the country s best Ashes XI in the last 40 years 55 A statue of McGrath by artist Brett Mon Garling was installed at McGrath s home town of Narromine in 2009 56 Records EditSee also List of international cricket five wicket hauls by Glenn McGrath and Player of the Match awards cricket McGrath was twice involved in tenth wicket partnerships which added 100 runs or more a record matched only by New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle 57 At the time of his retirement McGrath s 7 for 15 against Namibia were the best bowling figures in a World Cup match and the second best in all ODIs He also held the record for the most wickets in an edition of the World Cup 26 in 2007 until this was broken by Mitchell Starc in 2019 58 After his dismissal for a duck in the fourth test of the 2006 2007 Ashes series McGrath claimed the record of having scored more ducks in Test cricket than any other Australian cricketer 35 one more than Shane Warne 59 McGrath held the record for dismissing the most batsmen for ducks in Test cricket 104 60 until it was surpassed by James Anderson in 2021 61 Bibliography EditMcGrath Glenn Lane Daniel 2008 Glenn McGrath Line and Strength The Complete Story Random House ISBN 978 1 74166 719 6 the book includes a postscript by McGrath s late wife Jane 62 References Edit All Time Greatest Australian Test Team ESPNcricinfo 20 July 2009 Retrieved 1 September 2010 Glenn McGrath s Brilliant Career ESPNcricinfo 5 January 2007 Glenn McGrath ESPNcricinfo Profile ESPNcricinfo Bowlers taking 300 wickets Howstat Retrieved 1 January 2018 Most wickets taken in an ICC World Cup career male Guinness World Records Retrieved 23 June 2015 Glenn McGrath To Retire After World Cup Cricinfo 23 December 2006 McGrath eyes perfect one day finish Cricinfo Retrieved 22 December 2006 Cricket Records Indian Premier League 2007 08 Stats cricinfo com Archived from the original on 14 April 2009 India Cricket News Glenn McGrath replaces Dennis Lillee at MRF Pace Foundation espncricinfo com retrieved 23 December 2013 Bradman Awards honour for Dravid McGrath Wisden India Archived from the original on 5 November 2012 Retrieved 1 November 2012 a b McGrath to be inducted in Hall of Fame at Sydney Wisden India Archived from the original on 3 January 2013 Retrieved 31 December 2012 The Observer Sport Heroes and villains Glenn McGrath 2 October 2006 Archived from the original on 2 October 2006 Retrieved 1 January 2018 Cricketing great s career nearly didn t start abc net au Retrieved 1 January 2018 Glenn McGrath Profile Hindustantimes com Archived from the original on 30 September 2007 McGrath and Lane 2008 pp 133 34 Gough Martin 25 August 2005 Overstepping the mark BBC Sport Retrieved 26 January 2008 McGrath and Lane 2008 p xv NineMSN News Article Archived 3 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 17 May 2007 And the winners are ESPNcricinfo 30 April 2007 Readers picks Cricinfo 30 January 2008 Earle Richard 17 December 2007 Rich life becoming even richer for Glenn McGrath The Herald Sun Little activity in IPL transfer window Cricket News Indian Premier League 2010 ESPN Cricinfo Cricinfo com 5 January 2010 A tale of two metronomes Cricinfo 21 July 2005 Neville Kenyon 4 January 2012 Glenn McGrath Cricket Bowling Masterclass Cricket Show 04 01 2012 mov YouTube Archived from the original on 17 November 2021 Natural Born Killer Glenn McGrath s New Road Cricinfo An ironman of the land Cricinfo Retrieved on 16 October 2007 Cricinfo Profile Cricinfo Retrieved on 16 October 2007 We were just laughing The McGrath Gillespie batting masterclass on YouTube Cricket Australia a b We were just laughing The McGrath Gillespie batting masterclass on YouTube Cricket Australia Full Scorecard of Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test 1993 Score Report ESPNcricinfo com Retrieved 14 December 2019 Full Scorecard of Australia vs South Africa Australian Tri Series CB Series 1st Match Score Report ESPNcricinfo com Retrieved 14 December 2019 Full Scorecard of Australia vs New Zealand 1st Test 2004 Score Report ESPNcricinfo com Retrieved 14 December 2019 Full Scorecard of Australia vs South Africa 2nd Test 2005 Score Report ESPNcricinfo com Retrieved 14 December 2019 a b Pakistan tour of Australia 2004 05 Australia v Pakistan Scorecard ESPNcricinfo 19 December 2004 Retrieved 4 January 2016 a b ICC World Cup 31st Match 2003 Australia v Namibia Scorecard ESPNcricinfo 27 February 2003 Retrieved 4 January 2016 Australia tour of England and Scotland 2005 England v Australia Scorecard ESPNcricinfo 13 June 2005 Retrieved 4 January 2016 Indian Premier League 2008 Daredevils v Royal Challengers Scorecard ESPNcricinfo 30 April 2008 Retrieved 4 January 2016 a b McGrath Foundation About Us McGrath Foundation 2008 Archived from the original on 19 July 2008 Tabloid magazines get cheque books out for Glenn McGrath and Sara Leonardi s wedding Herald Sun 2010 Retrieved 26 July 2010 See inside McGrath s 6m palace 7 April 2011 Glenn McGrath and wife Sara welcome baby girl The Sydney Morning Herald 5 September 2015 Retrieved 6 September 2015 Nicholson Larissa 21 February 2015 Glenn McGrath Former cricketer regrets shooting wildlife on safari smh com au Retrieved 21 February 2015 Nicholson Larissa 22 February 2015 Glenn McGrath Former cricketer regrets shooting wildlife on safari The Age McGrath Glenn Please see my response below twitter com Retrieved 22 February 2015 Harry Tucker amp Sherine Conyers 22 February 2015 Glenn McGrath hunting photos backlash Brett Lee images emerge news com au Retrieved 14 December 2019 Leto Adam Glenn McGrath Straight shooter Australian Shooter 18 20 Magellan Ashes Test Sydney Australia v England Tickets premier ticketek com au Retrieved 15 December 2017 a b McGrath Foundation Family Glenn McGrath AM Co Founder and Chairman Official site McGrath Foundation 2012 Retrieved 25 February 2012 Best of the Best Archived from the original on 23 March 2012 a b Australian Cricket Awards 2000 Award Winners Cricket Australia Retrieved 14 December 2019 It s an Honour website Australian Government 2008 Retrieved 26 January 2008 Glenn McGrath Sport Australia Hall of Fame Retrieved 26 September 2020 ICC news McGrath makes it to ICC Hall of Fame ESPNcricinfo 31 December 2012 Retrieved 31 December 2012 Daily Times 28 February 2007 Australia names greatest ODI team Retrieved 1 March 2007 The Best Australian Ashes XI revealed CA 1 December 2017 Retrieved 26 July 2009 Rowles Lucy 7 June 2009 Cricket star humbled by statue in his honour Daily Liberal Retrieved 21 August 2019 Records Test matches Partnership records Highest partnership for the tenth wicket Cricinfo com Retrieved 1 January 2018 Bowing out on top ESPNCricinfo Retrieved 16 June 2020 Cricmania Stats follow link with caution potentially malicious site Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Dishing out ducks and a dearth of right handers cricinfo com 4 May 2009 Retrieved 1 January 2018 Albert R W James Anderson breaks Glenn McGrath s record of dismissing most players for ducks in Tests www sportskeeda com Retrieved 8 February 2022 Jane McGrath s has last word in husband Glenn s book news com au Archived from the original on 15 September 2008 Retrieved 4 September 2008 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Glenn McGrath Glenn McGrath at ESPNcricinfo Cricket portalGlenn McGrath at IMDb GLENN MCGRATH LINE AND STRENGTH THE COMPLETE STORYPreceded bySachin Tendulkar World Cup Player of the Series winner2007 Succeeded byYuvraj Singh Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Glenn McGrath amp oldid 1132519275, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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