Short description
Glenn McGrath is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and was a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to 2007. He holds the world record for Test wickets by a fast bowler. He retired from Test cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney 2007.
Long description
Glenn McGrath is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and was a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to 2007. He holds the world record for Test wickets by a fast bowler. He retired from Test cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney 2007, whilst the World Cup that year marked the end of his one-day career. McGrath was named One Day International Player of the Year and Wisden Cricketer of the Year on more than one occasion. He grew up in Marromine, where his local captain thought so little of his bowling ability that he refused to give him a bowl. But McGrath's potential was spotted by Doug Walters and he moved to Sydney, famously skinny and living in a caravan. McGrath capped his rapid rise in the next Australian summer with selection in the national side after playing only eight first-class matches. He relied on unerring accuracy in his bowling and the ability to make the ball seam off the pitch. In 2004, at the age of 34, McGrath took 4 for 24 against Pakistan in Perth, his best Test bowling figures and the second-best ever by an Australian. In 2004 he became the first Australians fast bowler to play 100 Tests. In the first innings of the ICC Super Series Test match in 2005, McGrath passed Courtney Walsh to become the greatest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test history.