Legends of Cricket: Bettor.com’s World XI – Glenn Mcgrath
Glenn Mcgrath is regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers in the history of the game. He was a revelation for Australia and throughout his career demonstrated his ability to pierce through the opposition with uncanny ease. Glenn Mcgrath’s rise to stardom
was mainly due to his ability to deliver bowls at an impeccable line and length that forced the batsman into making an error. He was methodical, like a cog in a machine yet incredibly durable. Coming in to bowl deliveries throughout the span of his career
and after sixty two thousand three hundred and thirty six deliveries bagged a total of seventeen hundred and seventy nine wickets in all forms of the game.
In the 14 years of his career with Australia he became one of the most formidable force of the Kangaroos becoming the leading wicket taker in Test cricket to beat Courtney Walsh’s 519 wickets in 2005. In the last few years of his international career, Mcgrath
not only proved his exceptional skill with tradition swing bowling but also mastered the art of reverse swing making him a devastating force to reckon with.
His accuracy and his height gave him a fine advantage over many other bowlers and he could produce bounce with languid ease. Making his international Test debut against the Kiwi’s in 1993 over a short span of time established himself as one of the closest
rivals for Dennis Lillee’s crown as Australia’s greatest fast bowler of all times.
He holds the world record for the highest number of test wickets by any fast bowler and is ranked fourth in the list of the all time highest wicket takers in Tests. Not only was he great with his line and length Mcgrath was also one of the most economical
bowlers of his era. His body language spoke volumes of his abilities as a bowler and how he had a fair idea of what he was up to. During the beginning of the Frank Worrell series against the West Indian side he made a press statement saying that he would dismiss
Sherwin http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jimmy-Adams-c1696 as well.
He has been a very competitive bowler in the sport and such was the extent of his rivalry that he dismissed Mike Atherton a world record 19 times, the most that any bowler has dismissed a batsman in the history of cricket.
Most importantly, his partnership with Shane Warne and was one of the most successful bowling pair for the Australians. In the best team of the world, Glenn Mcgrath was its most vital cog. Many critics would argue against his selection in the World XI however
his figures speak volumes to his contribution to the sport of cricket.
In 124 Tests he took 563 wickets at an incredible average of 21, having taken 5 wickets in a match 29 times and 10 wickets 3 times. In the last Test match series played by the bowler, the Ashes 2006-07 and also worked his way through to win the man of the
tournament in the successful world cup campaign of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in 2007 which also happened to be his final one day appearance.
Mcgrath also holds the bizarre record of dismissing the most batsmen for ducks a mind baffling 104 times in Test cricket. Mcgrath has been a phenomenon in all forms of cricket and his precision bowling made him the spearhead of Australian bowling attack.
To see him perform for a team that has dominated the field for so long and become an asset to the World Champions makes him better than most others. Selected as Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1998, this man surely deserves a place in Better.com’s all time
world XI.
A note for all the readers: the bettor.com World XI has chosen a team of the finest individuals and their placement is in no particular order, with the discretion to choose players for different positions resting with the captain himself. Many of those players
can play on several positions and it is simply a selection of a team of the greatest cricketers who have lived in the world of cricket.
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