Glenn McGrath
- Date of Birth 1970-2-9
- Role bowler
- Batting Style right-hand bat
- Bowling Style right-arm fast-medium
Debut Matches
| Format | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|
| TEST | AUS vs NZ | 1993-11-12 |
| ODI | AUS vs SA | 1993-12-09 |
| T20 | AUS vs NZ | 2005-02-17 |
| vs | 1970-01-01 |
Recent Performances
Batting Statistics
Matches
124
Innings
138
Runs
641
Average
7.36
Strike Rate
40.82
Highest Score
61
100s
0
50s
1
Fours
51
Sixes
1
Catches
38
Bowling Statistics
Matches
124
Innings
243
Wickets
563
Average
21.64
Economy
2.49
Strike Rate
51.9
Best Figure
8/24
4 Wickets
28
5 Wickets
29
Balls Bowled
29248
Runs Conceded
12186
Batting Statistics
Matches
250
Innings
68
Runs
115
Average
3.83
Strike Rate
48.72
Highest Score
11
100s
0
50s
0
Fours
7
Sixes
0
Catches
37
Bowling Statistics
Matches
250
Innings
248
Wickets
381
Average
22.02
Economy
3.88
Strike Rate
34
Best Figure
7/15
4 Wickets
9
5 Wickets
7
Balls Bowled
12970
Runs Conceded
8391
Batting Statistics
Matches
2
Innings
1
Runs
5
Average
5
Strike Rate
41.66
Highest Score
5
100s
0
50s
0
Fours
0
Sixes
0
Catches
1
Bowling Statistics
Matches
2
Innings
2
Wickets
5
Average
15.8
Economy
9.87
Strike Rate
9.6
Best Figure
3/31
4 Wickets
0
5 Wickets
0
Balls Bowled
48
Runs Conceded
79
Batting Statistics
Matches
305
Innings
80
Runs
124
Average
3.35
Strike Rate
45.92
Highest Score
11
100s
0
50s
0
Fours
Sixes
Catches
48
Bowling Statistics
Matches
305
Innings
Wickets
463
Average
21.6
Economy
3.79
Strike Rate
34.1
Best Figure
7/15
4 Wickets
15
5 Wickets
7
Balls Bowled
15808
Runs Conceded
10004
Batting Statistics
Matches
19
Innings
5
Runs
9
Average
3
Strike Rate
50
Highest Score
5
100s
0
50s
0
Fours
1
Sixes
0
Catches
5
Bowling Statistics
Matches
19
Innings
19
Wickets
20
Average
24.6
Economy
6.83
Strike Rate
21.6
Best Figure
4/29
4 Wickets
1
5 Wickets
0
Balls Bowled
432
Runs Conceded
492
The young Glenn McGrath was described by Mike Whitney as "thin - but Ambrose-thin, not Bruce Reid-thin". Later Mike Atherton compared McGrath to Ambrose on a vaster scale.
Catapulted from the outback of New South Wales into Test cricket to replace Merv Hughes
in 1993, McGrath became the greatest Australian fast bowler of his time. He went on to beat Courtney Walsh's 519 wickets to become the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers, and his claim to the title of Australia's greatest fast man is contested only by Dennis Lillee. His obituary was prepared a few times when he needed to take breaks from the game, but he wrote his own farewells. He retired from Tests at the SCG, his home ground, after Australia whitewashed England 5-0 in the 2006-07 Ashes, and was adjudged the Player of the Tournament during Australia's successful World Cup campaign in 2007, his final ODI appearance.
McGrath's USP was an unremitting off-stump line and an immaculate length. He gained off-cut and bounce, specialised in the opposition's biggest wickets - especially Atherton's and Brian Lara's - and he was unafraid to back himself publicly in these key duels. He was a batting rabbit who applied himself intently, which eventually paid off when he made 61, then the third-highest score by a No. 11 in Tests, against New Zealand in 2004-05.
He rewrote the World Cup record books in 2003 with 7 for 15 against the outclassed Namibians, on his way to adding another winner's medal to a bulging collection. An ankle injury threatened to derail his quest for 500 Test wickets, but after briefly contemplating retirement he bounced back with yet another five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in Darwin in July 2004. Three months later, in Nagpur, he became the first fast bowler to play 100 matches in the baggy green, and his greatness was further confirmed when he knocked down Pakistan in Perth with 8 for 24, the second-best figures by an Australian.
Adept at picking his moments, he chose the first day at Lord's in 2005 to reach 500, and his subsequent ankle and arm injuries were crucial to Australia losing that Ashes series. The following summer was also painfully disrupted with the recurrence of his wife Jane's cancer, which called for immediate treatment and McGrath's full attention. He pulled out of the VB Series finals as well as tours to South Africa and Bangladesh, but he made an emphatic comeback that culminated in him taking 26 wickets in the 2007 World Cup, then a tournament record.