MCGRATH SAYS STEP AWAY AT THE RIGHT TIME
GLENN MCGRATH just knew when it was time to hang up the boots.
The greatest fast bowler Australia have ever had woke up one morning, midway through an Ashes series and knew he was done.
Even though the Aussies were 1-0 up and on course for just their second
5-0 whitewash in history, Mcgrath (above) knew it would be his last and he stepped away at the same time as his great team-mates Shane Warne and Justin Langer.
It is 15 years later and the question of retirement is being asked of a couple of England fast bowlers who have already both played more matches than the man they called ‘Pigeon’.
James Anderson is 39 and featuring in the Boxing Day Test, Stuart Broad is 35 and has been dropped.
Is there a danger that two of English cricket’s greatest ever could go on for too long?
“Well, you’d like to think it’s up to them,” said Mcgrath, who has been appearing on English screens as a pundit on BT Sport.
“You never want to just keep playing for too long and in the end, someone’s got to step in and say ‘hang the boots up or we’re going to drop you.’ Jimmy and Broady are just incredible. The fact that Broady’s played 150 Tests and Jimmy 167 that’s just incredible. Their attitude is just incredible.
“But you don’t want to finish with people thinking you’ve played on too long.
“For me, I remember coming home from the Gabba Test in 06-07 and I spent two days at home.
“And I went to sleep one night, I’m still very motivated with what I wanted to achieve, I woke up the next morning and it just wasn’t important anymore. It just hit me, I knew my desire had changed, my priorities had changed and it was time.”
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