Glenn Donald McGrath AMThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
' onMouseout='HidePop("89127")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/New_South_Wales">New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
), nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in
cricketing historyThe game of cricket has a known history spanning from the 16th century to the present day, with international matches played since 1844, although the official history of international Test cricket began in 1877...
, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century. He holds the world record for the highest number of
TestTest cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
wickets by a fast bowler and is fourth on the all-time list, with the top three wicket takers
Muttiah MuralitharanMuttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
,
Shane WarneShane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
and
Anil KumbleAnil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
all being spin bowlers. McGrath announced his retirement from Test cricket on 23 December 2006. His Test career came to an end after the 5th Ashes test in Sydney, whilst the
2007 World CupThe 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
marked the end of his one-day career. Known throughout his career for maintaining a remarkably accurate line and length, McGrath's consistency enabled him to be one of the most economical fast bowlers of his time. McGrath also played for the
Indian Premier LeagueThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
team of
Delhi DareDevilsDelhi Daredevils is the Delhi franchise for the Indian Premier League in cricket. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group.-Franchise history:...
and was one of the tournaments most economical bowlers during its first season. On January 5, the franchise announced that it had bought out the remaining year of his contract.
Early years
McGrath was born in Dubbo, New South Wales to Beverly and Kevin McGrath.
http://google.com/search?q=cache:eu_MoS7Hkg8J:observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1559800,00.html+glenn+mcgrath+parents&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a He grew up in
Narromine, New South WalesNarromine is a town located about 40 kilometres west of Dubbo in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of Narromine Shire. At the 2006 census, Narromine had a population of 3,599 people...
(NSW) where he first played cricket and his potential was spotted by
Doug WaltersKevin Douglas Walters MBE in Dungog New South Wales, known as Doug Walters, is a former Australian cricketer. He was known as an attacking batsman, and also as a typical ocker.-First-class career:...
. He moved to Sydney to play grade cricket for Sutherland, and made his debut for
NSWThe New South Wales cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team based in Sydney, New South Wales...
during the 1992–93 season. McGrath capped his rapid rise in the next Australian summer with selection in the
Test teamThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
after only eight first-class matches. His Test debut was against
New ZealandThe New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
at
PerthThe WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association....
, 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. Ponting said:
County cricket in England
McGrath played for
WorcestershireWorcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in the
2000The 2000 English cricket season was marked by the dominance of Surrey in first-class cricket and Gloucestershire in limited overs.-Honours:*County Championship - Surrey*NatWest Trophy - Gloucestershire*National League - Gloucestershire...
English
County ChampionshipThe County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, 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
NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
, as well as making his first ever first-class half-century (55 against
NottinghamshireNottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
). He also played a few games for
MiddlesexMiddlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in
2004The 2004 English cricket season saw the English cricket team record a 4-0 Test series whitewash over the West Indies. Their one-day form was poor, however. In the Natwest Trophy, they failed to make the final, which saw New Zealand defeat the West Indies by 107 runs. And in the Natwest Challenge,...
; 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 1st Test at Lords in the
2005 Ashes seriesThe 2005 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 21 July 2005, England and Australia played five Tests, with the Ashes held by Australia as the most recent victors...
Glenn McGrath became the fourth bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets with the dismissal of
Marcus TrescothickMarcus Edward Trescothick MBE is an English cricketer. He plays first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals. A left-handed opening batsman, he made his first-class debut for Somerset in 1993 and quickly established...
. This wicket was also the start of a very productive spell of 5-2 which led to England being bowled out for 155. McGrath took 4-29 in the 2nd innings and was named man of the match in a comprehensive Australian victory.
McGrath trod on a cricket ball and injured his ankle the morning before the start of the 2nd 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 2 runs. He was rushed back when not fully fit for the 3rd Test at Old Trafford, where he earned another 5-wicket haul in the 2nd innings of a drawn game, batting in a last-wicket partnership with
Brett LeeBrett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket...
in the last hour of the Test to deny an English victory. He then missed the 4th Test at Trent Bridge, which England won by 3 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.
Australia hosted England in the
2006-07 Ashes seriesThe 2006–07 cricket series between Australia and England for the Ashes was played in Australia from 23 November 2006 to 5 January 2007. Australia won the series and regained the Ashes that had been lost to England in the 2005 Ashes series...
and quickly 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 SeriesAn England team toured Australia between November 1920 and March 1921. The tour was organised by the Marylebone Cricket Club and matches outside the Tests were played under the MCC name...
). Having taken a break from cricket since April 2006, McGrath used the
2006 ICC Champions TrophyThe 2006 ICC Champions Trophy was a One Day International cricket tournament held in India from 7 October to 5 November 2006. It was the fifth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy...
to reclaim his spot in Australia's test XI. He took a 6 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. McGrath took 21 wickets in the series at an average of 23.90, as well as scoring 10 runs and taking 1 catch in what was to be his final test series. In his biography McGrath wrote:
Retirement
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, where he took a wicket with the last ball of his test career. He has also retired from all forms of international cricket following the successful
2007 Cricket World CupThe 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
where he became the leading wicket taker in the history of the World Cup, while also being the top wicket taker with 26 and being named player of the tournament.
2008 Indian Premier League
He was signed by the
Delhi DareDevilsDelhi Daredevils is the Delhi franchise for the Indian Premier League in cricket. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group.-Franchise history:...
for the
Indian Premier LeagueThe Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
for a sum of USD 350,000 (INR 1.4 crore) to play in Twenty Overs games. His T-Shirt had the name "Pidge", short form for his nickname "Pigeon".
2009 Indian Premier League
In 2009, IPL went to South Africa, but McGrath increased the bench strength of Delhi Daredevils for whole of the tournament. In spite of being the most economic bowler for Delhi in the previous season, he did not play a single match.
Bowling
McGrath's bowling was not of express pace. Rather, he relied on unerring accuracy and subtle
seamSeam bowling is a phrase used for a bowling technique in cricket whereby the ball is deliberately bowled on to its seam, to cause a random deviation. Practitioners are known as seam bowlers or seamers....
movement. His height (195 cm), combined with a high arm action, allowed him to extract extra bounce from most pitches that often surprised batsmen. In the later years of his career, he developed as a
swingSwing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.-Physics of swing bowling:...
bowler.
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. In the first innings of the
ICC Super SeriesThe ICC Super Series 2005 was a cricket series played in Australia in October 2005 and featuring some of the world's best cricketers. There were two teams playing: Australia, the world's ranked number one side, and an ICC World XI made up of some of the best non-Australian cricketers...
Test match in 2005, McGrath passed
Courtney WalshCourtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
to become the greatest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test history.
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 which regularly worked. At the beginning of the Frank Worrell series against the
West IndiesThe West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
he stated in interviews before the match, that he would dismiss Sherwin Campbell for his 299th wicket, then remove star batsman
Brian LaraBrian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
for his 300th wicket the very next ball. In a masterstroke this eventuated as planned, following this with the dismissal of captain Jimmy Adams to complete a memorable
hat trickHat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
. The targeting of opposition batsmen has generally been successful; he has dismissed
Mike AthertonMichael Andrew Atherton OBE is a broadcaster, journalist and retired England international cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England,and occasional leg-break bowler, he achieved the captaincy of England at the age of 25 and led the side in a record 54 Test matches...
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 VaughanMichael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
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 StraussAndrew John Strauss, OBE is an English cricketer who plays county cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club and is the captain of England's Test cricket team. A fluent left-handed opening batsman, Strauss favours scoring off the back foot, mostly playing cut and pull shots...
in the 2005 series in England, who went on to score two centuries.
He also tends to engage in
sledgingSledging is a term used in cricket to describe the practice whereby some players seek to gain an advantage by insulting or verbally intimidating the opposing player. The purpose is to try to weaken the opponent's concentration, thereby causing him to make mistakes or underperform...
of opposition batsmen and teams, though it doesn't always pay off. Before the
2005 Ashes seriesThe 2005 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 21 July 2005, England and Australia played five Tests, with the Ashes held by Australia as the most recent victors...
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 3rd highest Test wicket taker. However his Test wicket haul was surpassed by Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble during India's tour of England 2007.
Fielding
McGrath is a competent outfielder with a strong and accurate throwing arm; whilst not known for his athleticism, on one memorable occasion in 2002 he took an exceptional outfield catch at the
Adelaide OvalThe Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
against England, dismissing English batsman
Michael VaughanMichael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
from the bowling of
Shane WarneShane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
, running many metres before leaping into the air and catching the ball with arms outstretched and his body horizontal (see
Google VideoGoogle Videos is a video search engine, and formerly a free video sharing website, from Google Inc. Before removing user-uploaded content, the service allowed selected videos to be remotely embedded on other websites and provided the necessary HTML code alongside the media, similar to YouTube...
video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=845865323285089669&q=glenn+mcgrath+catch&total=3&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0). His captain,
Steve WaughStephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh, AO is a former Australian cricketer and fraternal twin of cricketer Mark Waugh. A right-handed batsman, he was also a successful medium-pace bowler...
, described the famous catch as "a miracle" and "one of the great catches in history".
Batting
McGrath's batting prowess, in the early phases of his career was non-existent; in fact, he scored first-ball
ducksIn the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
(zero runs) on both his Test
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/engine/match/63621.html and One-Day International
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/engine/match/65507.html 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 have improved this aspect of his game, to the point where he has scored a Test half century which came on 20 November 2004 against New Zealand
http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2004-05/NZ_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/NZ_AUS_T1_18-22NOV2004.html at
the GabbaThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
. His final score in that innings was 61. Nevertheless, McGrath is still regarded as a batting 'bunny', although to his credit coaching from Steve Waugh and others has helped to push his average up to above 7.00 runs/dismissal. In the first
World Cricket Tsunami AppealThe World Cricket Tsunami Appeal was an effort by the International Cricket Council to raise funds to support the humanitarian relief efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004. It was scheduled to be held over two games but was reduced to one due to an over-crowded...
charity match, he was promoted to bat at number 6 ahead of specialist batsmen
Stephen FlemingStephen Paul Fleming ONZM is a New Zealand cricketer, and the former captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, in Test and one-day cricket...
and
Matthew HaydenMatthew Lawrence Hayden AM is a former Australian cricketer, and was signed to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL until the 2010 season. Hayden is a powerful and aggressive left-handed opening batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day levels.Hayden holds the record...
, but was dismissed first ball trying to slog
Muttiah MuralitharanMuttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
. 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
MCGThe Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
2005 Boxing Day Test versus South Africa
http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005-06/RSA_IN_AUS/SCORECARDS/RSA_AUS_T2_26-30DEC2005.html, he stood his ground for 53 deliveries, helping
Michael HusseyMichael Edward Killeen Hussey is an Australian cricketer, a left-handed specialist batsman. Hussey is also widely known by his nickname Mr Cricket. Hussey was a relative latecomer to both the one-day international and Test Australian teams, debuting at 28 and 30 years of age in the respective...
push the Australian tail to a record tenth wicket stand against South Africa of 107 runs.
Personal life
His late wife,
Jane Louise (née Steele)Jane Louise McGrath AM was a British-born Australian cancer support campaigner, and the wife of Australian cricket fast bowler Glenn McGrath.-Background:...
, was born in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and had worked as a
flight attendantFlight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
before their marriage. Glenn married Jane in 1999 after they met at a Hong Kong nightclub called Joe Bananas in 1995. They had two children, James and Holly. Jane McGrath fought recurrent battles with metastatic
breast cancerBreast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. On 26 January 2008 (
Australia DayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
) Glenn and Jane McGrath were both made Members of the
Order of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
. Jane McGrath died, aged 42, on 22 June 2008 from complications following cancer surgery.
Glenn McGrath later became engaged to Sara Leonardi, an interior designer. They met during the
2009 Indian Premier LeagueThe 2009 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 2 or the 2009 IPL, was the second season of the Indian Premier League, established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 2007. The tournament was hosted by South Africa and was played between 18 April and 24 May 2009...
. They married at home in Cronulla on 18 November 2010. In April 2011 McGrath put his home on the market for 6 million dollars.
McGrath Foundation
In 2007 the McGraths founded the
McGrath Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to raising money to fund more Breast Care Nurses in rural and regional Australia and educate young women to become 'breast aware'. Glenn has continued the work of Jane in her memory. The foundation has so far raised over $12 million and as at the start of 2011 currently funds 61 Breast Care Nurses.
Honours
He was named a Member of the
Order of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
on 26 January (
Australia DayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
) 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."
Sporting Achievements
McGrath holds 7 highest tenth wicket partnerships, and two tenth wicket partnerships of 100 plus
http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283526.html.
At the time of his retirement he held the record for most runs scored as a number 11 batsman (603)
http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/stats/index.html?batting_positionmin1=11;batting_positionval1=batting_position;class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=runs;spanmax2=02+Jan+2007;spanval2=span;template=results;type=batting. This record has since been surpassed by Muttiah Muralitharan.
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)
http://www.cricmania.com/cricket/DB/score/user/us03/type/T/base/0.
McGrath holds the record for dismissing the most batsmen for ducks in test cricket (104)
http://content.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/402290.html.
His win-loss record at World Cup tournaments is impressive; he's been in four tournaments (two less than the record) and has won three of those, getting to the final in the other they lost in 1996 to Sri Lanka his last in 2007 world cup Australia won to Sri Lanka.
External links