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| | Monday, 21 October, 2002, 10:52 GMT 11:52 UK McGrath's attitude pays off  McGrath has been in fine form in Sharjah
He may not be the fastest and he may not swing the ball the most, but Glenn McGrath is peerless among the world's seam bowlers at present. His points graph in cricket's PwC world rankings reads like something a stock market investor could only ever dream about. After making his debut in Perth in November 1993, McGrath's value to the Australian team has soared and soared. True, he had the good fortune to come into a team which had put the misery of the 1980s behind them to start posting some awesome displays against all opponents.
But without McGrath in their side, Mark Taylor, the Waugh brothers, Michael Slater and so on would have frequently been chasing targets beyond their reach. After becoming the eighth bowler to take 400 Test wickets, McGrath will turn up at the Gabba on 7 November ready to breathe fire at England's quaking batsmen in the first Ashes Test. The much-vaunted opening partnership of Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick will have to cope with that nagging line outside off-stump. They will have to watch for the slight movement off the seam that has clipped so many outside edges. And above all they will have to cope with the enormous presence, both mental and physical, that the man exudes. It is not simply sour grapes from vanquished opponents that leads to the universal criticism of Australia as being the game's worst sledgers.
And McGrath has often dished out unfriendly words of advice to any batsman who has the gall to withstand his brilliance. But outside the boundary ropes, McGrath is, contrary to what some might have thought, a sincere and likeable character. England's star batsman on present form is Vaughan. His form over the English summer was built around an aggressive approach, particularly against indifferent seam bowling by India and Sri Lanka on friendly batting pitches. In the Ashes it may be a different story, however, with Mr McGrath in town. "Marcus and I are the type of guys who go out looking to be positive," Vaughan said on Monday. "But Glenn McGrath is going to have periods of play where he's bowling very well and leaving the ball might be the best option."
McGrath's strike rate is so good that over the course of his 87-match career he can just about be relied on to take a wicket in every spell he bowls. And his average, in the very low 20s, is bettered only by Shaun Pollock of present-day bowlers. The 32-year-old's patience and experience make him a remarkably economical bowler - he goes for only two-and-a-half runs an over. In short, there is nothing much wrong with him. There have already been highlights - 8/38 in the 1997 Lord's Test and a hat-trick against West Indies in Perth in 2001. The Ashes series could yet herald more happy moments for the Glenn McGrath fan club. | |
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