McGrath says he'll quit after World Cup

Published on Saturday 23 December 2006 12:21

GLENN McGRATH has become the second great Australian bowler this week to announce his retirement despite claiming he still has a couple of years left as a top-class seamer.

The 37-year-old ended days of speculation by announcing he would retire at the end of the World Cup in West Indies, which finishes on April 28.

His annoucement came just days after Shane Warne said that he would finish his career at the end of the current Ashes series.

It means both of Australia's legendary figures will bow out of Test cricket in the Ashes finale at Sydney on January 2, a match which is bound to have particularly emotional significance for local boy McGrath.

"It's a fitting ending for myself being my home ground and my favourite ground in the world," revealed McGrath during a hastily-arranged press conference at the MCG.

"It's only been in the last few games that I've really thought about it and come up with the decision that I will finally hang the boots up.

"It's a tough decision and an easy decision. It's tough because I still love playing and going out there performing with my team-mates, my body feels great and I couldn't be happier with the way I'm bowling.

"It's also easy because of everything else that goes with it - the training, the travel, the time away from home - and it's getting harder to leave home with Jane and the kids, who are growing up all the time and it's tough not experiencing the things they go through."

McGrath will leave the game as one of the great seam bowlers of his and any other era having captured 555 wickets from his 122 Tests, but insisted his decision was not based on the health of his wife Jane, who has been suffering from cancer.

Unlike Warne, whom he has played alongside in 102 Tests and claimed 963 wickets at an average of 25.53 between them, McGrath also claimed he has not begun to feel the ravages of time and could still play on.

"I guess you base your decision on gut feeling and I feel now is the right time to leave," he said. "Over the last few games I've started to feel that way.

"I could continue on and I feel I could offer more to the team, but to me it feels the right time to go. I've trusted my instinct in the past and I've decided to trust it again."