Glenn McGrath
03 August, 2006
Having assumed the mantle of Australia's main strike bowler during his remarkably successful tour of the Carribean in early 1995 and confirmed that status with his outstanding consistency in subsequent years,
Name: Glenn McGrath
Date of Birth: February 9, 1970
Birth Place: Dubbo, New South Wales
Major Teams: Australia, ICC World XI, Middlesex, New South Wales, Worcestershire
Nick Name: Pigeon
Playing Role: Bowler
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style : Right-arm fast-medium
Height: 1.98 m
Career statistics :
Test debut: Australia v New Zealand at Perth - Nov 12-16, 1993
ODI debut : Australia v South Africa at Melbourne - Dec 9, 1993
Twenty20 Int. debut: New Zealand v Australia at Auckland - Feb 17, 2005
Awards:
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1998
Wisden Australia Cricketer of the Year 1999
Allan Border Medal 2000
Wisden Australia Cricketer of the Year 2005/06
Profile:
Glenn McGrath is now believed to be one of the world's foremost fast bowlers. Hailing from country New South Wales, he is, in essence, a lanky and rakishly tall cricketer who brings to the game a highly spirited and fiery disposition.
Although injuries to other players forced upon him the unfair burden of spearheading Australia's attack at an early age, McGrath has generally thrived under the pressure of needing to make regular breakthroughs for his team. Indeed, ever since he first rocketed to attention as a fresh-faced seventeen year old in the New South Wales Country Cup Championships, McGrath has rightfully earned for himself a reputation as being a bowler who exerts wonderful control over both the length and the direction of his deliveries. He swings the ball both ways in the air (frequently generating reverse swing); cuts it off the pitch; and attacks batsmen on and just outside the line of off stump in a hostile, relentless fashion. Belying what remains a straight, short-stepping run up and a relatively unremarkable action, he also bowls with sustained speed and exhibits an uncanny ability to use his height to extract sharp lift and bounce, even on seemingly unsympathetic pitches.
Although he is prone to the odd display of petulance and does sometimes portray a sullen streak on those occasions when things are not going his way, McGrath is essentially a highly determined and competitive cricketer who is always striving to maximise his talents. In a first class career which has spanned just over six years, such has been the rapidity of his progress and the level of his performance that he has already captured more than 325 first class wickets - with over 200 of these coming in the Test match arena. As unlikely as it may seem, even the significant recent improvement that has been evident in his batting skills, hitherto considered to render him a quintessential number eleven player, reflects the strength of what is his redoubtable conviction to succeed.
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