Australia legend McGrath fears England will win the Ashes thanks to ‘world’s best’ Jimmy Anderson
GLENN McGRATH fears Jimmy Anderson will swing The Ashes England’s way once again.
The Australia legend’s record for most Test wickets by a fast bowler was broken by Anderson last year.
And McGrath expects the England seamer - who turns 37 tomorrow - to have another big say against his countrymen this summer.
The six-time Ashes winner, 49, said: “Jimmy just seems to keep on going.
“On home soil with the Dukes ball, he’s the best in the world bowling in those conditions.
“He is a big player and if he has a big series for England, Australia will find it tough.
“If Australia bat well and can get on top of him, that’ll make a massive impact on their chances.
“But Jimmy is on his way to 600 Test wickets, which is absolutely incredible. He has got that experience and he knows his game and his craft so well.”
RECORD WON'T BE BEATEN
Anderson is now just 25 wickets shy of the milestone of 600, having bettered McGrath’s haul of 563 against India last September.
And McGrath admitted: “Jimmy’s got the record now and it won’t be beaten.
“For a fast bowler to beat whatever record he sets, they are going to have to play 150 Tests-plus.
“And I can’t see bowlers playing long enough to beat the record, just from the nature of the beast of being a fast bowler.
“There is a lot of pounding, a lot of stress and to be able to play long enough is something pretty special.
“Jimmy has played 148 Tests and that alone is absolutely incredible.”
Many expect this to be Anderson’s last Ashes even though he has not ruled out going Down Under in 2021-22 — when he would be 39.
And McGrath said: “If he’s got that desire, he’s still enjoying it, he’s bowling well and taking wickets, then he can play for as long as he wants.”
This summer’s series will be played using last year’s Dukes ball, which has a bigger seam than the one developed for the 2019 domestic season.
While that change was meant to help the swing of Anderson and his fellow opening bowler Stuart Broad, McGrath thinks it will also aid the Aussies.
If he’s got that desire, he’s still enjoying it, he’s bowling well and taking wickets, then he can play for as long as he wants.”
McGrath on Anderson
He said: “Pat Cummins will bowl really well with it and if Mitchell Starc is swinging that new ball 150kph-plus and bowling attacking lengths, he’s a handful for anyone.
“Australia have got the firepower to come hard at England.
“It’s going to be whether our batsmen have learnt and adjusted from last time they were here, when they just went too hard at the ball.”
Australia have won just three of their last 19 Tests here since Edgbaston 2005 — when McGrath was ruled out on the morning of the match after injuring his ankle treading on a stray ball.
McGrath believes that dismal record is in line with a worldwide trend of teams struggling away from home.
But he thinks it will help the Aussies that many of their players have been in England since May for the World Cup.
And while McGrath has refused to give one of his legendary 5-0 whitewash predictions, he does think Tim Paine’s side have a chance of retaining the urn.
McGrath added: “Teams around the world are becoming stronger at home and worse away. That is a massive concern.
“But having been here for the World Cup, a lot of Australia’s players have been able to adapt and adjust to conditions, to play on the pitches and get a little bit of a feel for everything.
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“I am always one who is pretty confident and always like to predict an Australian victory. I am always going to back our boys.
“We have got the players to do it.
"But they are going to have to be on the top of their game if they are going to compete with England in their own conditions.
“You have always got to back yourself. If you don’t think you’ve got a chance, the series has already gone.”
- Glenn McGrath is the latest sports personality to join forces with online financial trading broker ThinkMarkets to promote sport to disadvantaged young people and provide opportunities to a new generation of financial gurus.
