Australia's metronome, 563 Test wickets and a relentless pursuit of the perfect line
CricketFew bowlers have ever made 90 miles an hour look as boring, or as lethal, as Glenn McGrath.
For fifteen years, McGrath was the quiet engine of the most dominant Test side in cricket's modern era. He took 563 Test wickets, a figure beaten only by two spinners, and built that record on a simple theory: land the ball on a length just outside off stump, every ball, and wait for the batter to make a mistake. Most of them did. He played in three winning World Cup campaigns and finished his career with a five wicket haul in his final Test at Sydney.
Off the field, his story took a harder turn. His first wife, Jane, was diagnosed with breast cancer and together they founded the McGrath Foundation, which funds breast care nurses across Australia. Jane died in 2008. The annual pink Test at Sydney, where the ground turns pink in her memory, has become one of the most moving fixtures in the sport and has raised tens of millions for the cause.
McGrath still commentates on Fox Cricket in Australia, and remains one of the most sought after speakers on the international circuit. He is also the resident fast bowling philosopher at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, where the next generation of quicks queue up for his advice.
At Steam, he is the rare visitor who can be gently mocked about his batting and cheerfully agree with every word of it.
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