Words matter. These are the best Glenn McGrath Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
As a fast bowler if you’re not going to bowl well on a Perth wicket you’re going to struggle in Australia.
I loved playing at Lord’s – I ended up with 26 wickets at 11.50 from three Tests there. Maybe the wicket, because of the slope, was perfect for my style of bowling.
There’s always a little bit of anticipation – some people call it nerves – the night before, and although I always slept pretty well before big matches, you want to be on edge a little bit to get the best out of yourself.
Is there a secret to bowling at the Waca? In a way the secret is that there is no secret. Like any ground in the world, it’s all about feel.
Jimmy Anderson deserves everything he gets, and even though he is an Englishman I will be delighted for him when he goes past my record and becomes the most prolific fast bowler in Test history.
The difference between first-class cricket and international cricket isn’t skill, it’s attitude and the way you go about things.
You can tell yourself that everything is normal, and try to keep the same routine from every other Test match, but there is always something extra special about an Ashes series.
I’m keen to get into trophy hunting, no animal in particular, but a big safari in Africa would be great.
The Australian team that I was lucky enough to play in had a certain aura and sometimes you had teams beaten before you even walked on the field.
The night before a game, I’d think about who I was playing, and then how I’d bowled against those guys, if I had got them out previously. While I was playing, I could recall nearly all my wickets and how I got the batsman out.
Dotting teams up and bowling maidens back to back cannot be underestimated in Australian conditions because it gives you control of the game.
I am quite a positive person. I always try to see the good in every situation, the good in everybody.
What’s the difference between a good player and a great player? A good player plays well in his own conditions – a great player plays well in all conditions.
Losing Jane was tragic and I thought I’d never get married again, or have more children, or would even ever want to.
One of the great things about cricket, and certainly something that I found helpful, was that as soon as you step over the boundary rope you can switch off everything that is happening off the field and focus solely on what is happening out on the pitch.
Have a little protection if that helps your bowler – Brett Lee always wanted a cover and a midwicket because they helped him bowl his natural length and made him more effective as a result.
When I made my debut in 1994-95 I bowled big outswingers pretty much every ball, because people had told me you should bowl consistent outties to take wickets.
The one thing you can’t do is get carried away with that pace and bounce. There’s a temptation to charge in and just slam the ball into the pitch and you can end up bowling too short. You still have to bowl the right length so that you threaten to take wickets.
When you’re playing in a good team where you’re confident in yourself and your team-mates, when you’ve done the business before, it makes it so much easier.
My parents split up when I was 16, and, while Mum came to a few Tests, Dad didn’t make many. So I was glad he was at Lord’s.
If Australians give you a hard time, then they respect you.
But if you have got a batsman out three or four times in the same series then you are in business – all of a sudden you have got yourself a bit of a bunny.
I’d prefer to do the safari on foot, like they did in the old days and just take the camp with you, not driving around in 4WDs.
I always wondered if I would know the right time to retire. After that first Ashes Test in Brisbane in 2006 I had no intention of stopping. I was still focused and wanted a thousand international wickets. I was still driven.
I’m a very loyal, parochial Australian and I can never say we’re going to lose a series.
I’m expecting big things from our bowlers, from Peter Siddle, who plays the enforcer role, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee when he gets fit again. In batting, there’s Phil Hughes, whose already done well for Australia and scored hundreds for Middlesex.
I think the important thing for budding cricketers is to always put in 100 per cent – to continue to be your best, work hard, don’t ever think you are at the top of your ability, you can always improve.
It’s the games you lose or struggle in that you learn most from in Test cricket.
You can’t go on living in past and having regrets. Its better people have a positive influence on other people’s lives than worry about themselves.
It’s incredible what the Sydney Test has become – it’s now iconically the pink Sydney Test. It’s the sixth year that the McGrath Foundation has been involved and the support from everyone in cricket – right across the board, supporters, teams, you name it – has been absolutely incredible.
I was fortunate to go out on my terms while still at the top but a lot of people are not so lucky.
Umpiring is a tough job. Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t want to be an umpire. You’ve got a split second to make a decision.
If you continually watch yourself do something well, it has a positive effect. If you sat down and watched yourself bowling, batting or fielding badly, it will probably have the equal effect.
The more you get a batsman out the more it becomes psychological. A batsman starts thinking about it and making something of it in his head.
The Foundation and Pink Day are about celebrating and hope, I know when the time comes and I move on, if I have people celebrating my life and what I bring to the world I’ll be happy.
