Why is McGrath NOT an all-time great?

[Perm]

I know I've been guilty in the last few days, but I felt I've been adding something. Given who did it in this instance, I think some leniancy can be applied

 

[adharcric]

Do you exclude Murali, Ambrose, Lillee, Donald, etc. for the same reasons?

Provided that there are alternatives who can arguably bowl as well and add plenty with the bat, yes. Some would say that Hadlee should take McGrath's spot in an all-time side for that reason - he could be nearly as effective in a similar role with the ball and provide a whole lot more in other areas of the game.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I know I've been guilty in the last few days, but I felt I've been adding something. Given who did it in this instance, I think some leniancy can be applied

I bow to your superior knowledge of the digger.

 

[Manee]

McGrath is the best bowler who I have had the privledge to watch. His style makes the batsman have no correct choice in going forward or back. A high arm action and generally upright body means that he generated brilliant bounce; this meant that when he hit the fullish good length (which he has hit more often than anyone else I have ever seen), there is no correct choice of shot. His consistent line also makes him troubling to score off and allows him to frustrate batsman, ever so slightly, into pushing at a defensive shot. I also rate him highly for his ability to polish off lower orders with swing bowling, something he perfected late in his career.

I think that he is underrated due to speed gun readings, but I have heard many commentators say that the gun does not do him justice. His bouncers always get big on batsmen and it would seem that he can crank it up significently when batsmen try to bat out of their crease to him as in his 7/15 against Bermuda in the 2003 World Cup where he often pushed the 140kph mark. I can find no reason why Glenn Mcgrath should not be in All Time XIs as a fast medium opening bowler.

 

[honestbharani]

McGrath is an absolute all-time great.

McGrath has consistently taken the wickets of the best batsmen in the world on relatively flat wickets.
The quality of a bowler is judged by his ability to take wickets, not his ability to bowl with express pace.
Need intimidation? Facing a bowler who is almost guaranteed to take your wicket is pretty damn intimidating IMO.

As for a place in an all-time XI, he wouldn't make mine. He is one of the three greatest bowlers ever, but that's not enough.
Hadlee will give you nearly the same value with the ball in addition to superior batting and fielding. Warne and Muralitharan form a lethal spin duo. Marshall is the greatest ever.

Sunil Gavaskar
Jack Hobbs
Don Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist
Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Shane Warne
Muttiah Muralitharan

not sure about your team there... Seems a little bowling heavy to me.. You can drop one of the seamers (Hadlee or Imran) or one of the spinners for another batsman, preferably a leftie to bat at 4, juz for variety's sake...

 

[iamdavid]

Undisputedly an all-time great, yet I dont think I could find room for him in an all time world XI given there are two quicks who were in all likelyhood atleast as good as him (Hadlee and Marshall) and add significantly more with the bat and in the field.

I think he'd probably make my all time touring party of 16 yet miss the final XI lol.

 

[Manee]

McGrath provides an almost certainty that he'll do well though. Excluding his first five, Mcgrath never had a bad series with the ball in Tests. In the few series he has not taken a bucketful of wickets, he remains extremely economical, ensuring that he builds pressure.

 

[Jono]

not sure about your team there... Seems a little bowling heavy to me.. You can drop one of the seamers (Hadlee or Imran) or one of the spinners for another batsman, preferably a leftie to bat at 4, juz for variety's sake...

Code for

"Put Lara in"

 

[Nate]

I think that he is underrated due to speed gun readings, but I have heard many commentators say that the gun does not do him justice. His bouncers always get big on batsmen and it would seem that he can crank it up significently when batsmen try to bat out of their crease to him as in his 7/15 against Bermuda in the 2003 World Cup where he often pushed the 140kph mark. I can find no reason why Glenn Mcgrath should not be in All Time XIs as a fast medium opening bowler.

Namibia IIRC.

 

[subshakerz]

not sure about your team there... Seems a little bowling heavy to me.. You can drop one of the seamers (Hadlee or Imran) or one of the spinners for another batsman, preferably a leftie to bat at 4, juz for variety's sake...

I would drop a spinner to accomodate Viv...

Anyway, McGrath is a definite all-time great, there's really was nothing left for him to prove in his career. I also consider him the bowler of the decade (yes, even better than Warne and Murali, who havent succeeded against all opponents in all conditions like Mcgrath has). Having said that, I would probably pick Hadlee over Mcgrath if I were choosing a side, as there is little to separate them as bowlers and Hadlee is a useful batsman.

 

[Manee]

Namibia IIRC.

Yes, your right.

 

[slowfinger]

Of course McGrath is an all-time great, he brought medium pace bowling back to existence...

 

[silentstriker]

The answer to this question is that there is no reason.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Of course McGrath is an all-time great, he brought medium pace bowling back to existence...

Wasn't that Ronnie Irani??