Tests: 124 games, 563 wickets, average 21.64, Best Bowling Inns: 8/24, Best Bowling Match: 10/27, 29 x 5wkt inns, 3 x 10 wkt match
ODI's: 250 games, 381 wickets, average 22.02, Best Bowling: 7/15, 7 x 5 wkt inns
T20I: 2 games, 5 wickets, average 15.80, Best Bowling: 3/31
Ashes Winner: 1994-95, 1997, 1998-99, 2001, 2002-03, 2006-07
World Cup Winner: 1999, 2003, 2007
Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1998
Wisden Australia Cricketer of the Year: 1999, 2005-06
Allan Border Medallist: 2000
Test Player of the Year: 2000
One Day International Player of the Year: 2001
Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee: 2011
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inductee: 2012
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame inductee: 2013
Member of the Order of Australia: 2008
The word "metronome" should be accompanied in any dictionary by a picture of Glenn McGrath. From his debut as a rangy, raw, wet-behind-the-ears understudy to the almost-retired Craig McDermott, to his perfectly-timed finale - a wicket with his last ball in Tests, a wicket with his last ball in ODI's in Australia and a brilliant World Cup campaign - Pigeon was the model of consistency with ball in hand.
Bursting to prominence with his "stick it up 'em" bumper barrage in the West Indies in 1995, McGrath became a "must pick" in all conditions and against in all opposition. He took wickets everywhere and against everyone - Atherton, Lara and Tendulkar amongst his most often-claimed victims. In combination with Shane Warne, McGrath choked the life out of batsmen and it was a feature of his partnership with Warne that the latter would often have to simply share the spoils of a last day wicket harvest.
McGrath was in my opinion an extremely underrated ODI bowler (despite his remarkable record) yet was central to three World Cup wins - 18 wickets in 1999, 21 wickets in 2003 and 26 wickets (in 11 games) in 2007.
Beginning as an almost-hopeless batsman (by the admission of his teammates), McGrath was famously involved in three memorable and unlikely last-wicket Test partnerships:
* surviving 7 balls to allow Steve Waugh to reach his double century against the West Indies in Jamaica in 1995
* adding 107 with Michael Hussey against South Africa at the MCG in 2005
* adding 114 with Jason Gillespie against New Zealand at the Gabba in 2004 and recording his highest Test score of 61 not out
A safe if unspectacular fieldsman (who also perfected the art of the "self dummy spit!"), Pigeon nevertheless took a now-famous, miraculous catch against England at the Adelaide Oval during the 2002-03 Ashes Series which has been replayed for years.
I have settled on this as a highlight - though it proved a false dawn as the series was concerned - this amazing spell of bowling on the first afternoon of the first Ashes Test in 2005 is McGrath at his greatest. Your thoughts, opinions and memories please!!
OOH AAH!
ODI's: 250 games, 381 wickets, average 22.02, Best Bowling: 7/15, 7 x 5 wkt inns
T20I: 2 games, 5 wickets, average 15.80, Best Bowling: 3/31
Ashes Winner: 1994-95, 1997, 1998-99, 2001, 2002-03, 2006-07
World Cup Winner: 1999, 2003, 2007
Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1998
Wisden Australia Cricketer of the Year: 1999, 2005-06
Allan Border Medallist: 2000
Test Player of the Year: 2000
One Day International Player of the Year: 2001
Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductee: 2011
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inductee: 2012
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame inductee: 2013
Member of the Order of Australia: 2008
The word "metronome" should be accompanied in any dictionary by a picture of Glenn McGrath. From his debut as a rangy, raw, wet-behind-the-ears understudy to the almost-retired Craig McDermott, to his perfectly-timed finale - a wicket with his last ball in Tests, a wicket with his last ball in ODI's in Australia and a brilliant World Cup campaign - Pigeon was the model of consistency with ball in hand.
Bursting to prominence with his "stick it up 'em" bumper barrage in the West Indies in 1995, McGrath became a "must pick" in all conditions and against in all opposition. He took wickets everywhere and against everyone - Atherton, Lara and Tendulkar amongst his most often-claimed victims. In combination with Shane Warne, McGrath choked the life out of batsmen and it was a feature of his partnership with Warne that the latter would often have to simply share the spoils of a last day wicket harvest.
McGrath was in my opinion an extremely underrated ODI bowler (despite his remarkable record) yet was central to three World Cup wins - 18 wickets in 1999, 21 wickets in 2003 and 26 wickets (in 11 games) in 2007.
Beginning as an almost-hopeless batsman (by the admission of his teammates), McGrath was famously involved in three memorable and unlikely last-wicket Test partnerships:
* surviving 7 balls to allow Steve Waugh to reach his double century against the West Indies in Jamaica in 1995
* adding 107 with Michael Hussey against South Africa at the MCG in 2005
* adding 114 with Jason Gillespie against New Zealand at the Gabba in 2004 and recording his highest Test score of 61 not out
A safe if unspectacular fieldsman (who also perfected the art of the "self dummy spit!"), Pigeon nevertheless took a now-famous, miraculous catch against England at the Adelaide Oval during the 2002-03 Ashes Series which has been replayed for years.
I have settled on this as a highlight - though it proved a false dawn as the series was concerned - this amazing spell of bowling on the first afternoon of the first Ashes Test in 2005 is McGrath at his greatest. Your thoughts, opinions and memories please!!
OOH AAH!
