Glenn McGrath's Enduring Class: Aussie Ace Predicts Ashes Whitewash Once Again

It’s become something of a joke now, but former Australia bowler Glenn McGrath is at it again. The baggy green legend has predicted a 5-0 series Ashes whitewash in favour of his fellow countrymen.

It’s something McGrath can more easily do now, being a former player and a media commentator.

However, the fact he was at the heart of the battle never stopped him from doing exactly that during his playing career. Where many would, perhaps superstitiously or maybe out of respect, decide against showing such confidence before a competition had started, McGrath was fully confident in his and his team’s ability. Some would call it arrogance – certainly English fans do. But McGrath would more often than not back up his talk in Ashes clashes.

The Sportsman is profiling some of the most important players in Ashes history as the build-up continues to the upcoming 2017 edition Down Under, having started with a profile of Andrew Flintoff. And McGrath is certainly an iconic player in biennial England-Australia battles.

McGrath won six of the seven Ashes series he played. The one black mark coming in 2005, but had he not been injured in the warm-up for the decisive second Test, which England won, that unbelievable story may well have had a very different ending.

His final act was the 2006/07 5-0 whitewash he’s predicted as he retired in style alongside his wicket-taking partner in crime Shane Warne, the series after that first England series’ win in 18 years.

That McGrath played throughout England’s lean years is no coincidence. It was, of course, a time of brilliant Australia sides. Alongside the great West Indies team of the 1960s, the Australia of the 90s and early 00s was arguably the greatest Test side ever seen. McGrath was the lynchpin around the dazzle of Warne.

Ashes aside, McGrath is a three-time World Cup winner and the highest seam bowling wicket-taker in Tests, with 563. That shows his enduring class – but he often saved his best for England. Only Warne has more Ashes wickets, with 195 to McGrath’s 157. He lost just four of his 30 Ashes Tests, winning 22.

McGrath’s Ashes journey began in 1994, and it was a slow start as he finished wicketless in England’s first innings of the tour – though as they scored just 167, he was only given 10 overs. Remarkably, he didn’t pick up a wicket in England’s second innings, either. It mattered little, Australia won comfortably. They went on to claim the series 3-1 and the young McGrath eventually played his part.

He was replaced by Damien Fleming until the final Test but finally got his first Ashes wicket on his return. McGrath quickly dismissed Michael Atherton and Mike Gatting – not a bad pair for your opening Ashes wickets. A sign of things to come for Three Lions captain Atherton. He took him again in the second innings and McGrath had arrived as an Ashes winner.

McGrath’s first experience of an away Ashes came in 1997. It ended in a 3-2 success for the tourists and McGrath, now established as one of the leading bowlers in the world, claimed the Player of the Series award.

Memorably, McGrath – who ended his career with a superlative record at Lord’s, of 26 wickets in three Tests – took 8/38 in his first Test there. He finished the series with 36 wickets.

Back home a year later, McGrath’s 6/85 at the Gabba stopped England in their tracks and led him towards Man of the Match honours, setting the tone for more Australian success.

Back in England in 2001, where he particularly thrived in Ashes battles, McGrath was once again Player of the Series as Australia won 4-1. This time he took 32 English wickets. He shone at Lord’s – of course – with a five-for as Australia took a 2-0 lead with an eight-wicket win as comprehensive as any. He backed that up with another five-for in Test three at Trent Bridge – this time a seven-wicket win. This was Australia’s most fearsome era and McGrath was leading the way. After England put a smile on the faces of their long-suffering fans with a Mark Butcher-inspired fourth Test win, normal service was resumed at The Oval with another McGrath five-for to end the dominant series.

Consistently among the wickets at vital moments in 2002/03, again an Australia victory, McGrath was finally, breathlessly, halted by England in that series of 2005. He was brilliant at Lords in the series opener, with five wickets in a 30-ball spell that leaked just two runs. Australia led 1-0 and McGrath was looking imperious. But disaster struck when he was injured in the warm-up at Edgbaston on the first morning of the second Test, having stood on a cricket ball while playing rugby. England won the Test, and the momentum swung firmly in their favour, something McGrath was unable to halt despite returning in the next Test.

And so to his 5-0 revenge-mission prediction of 06/07 – his final act. McGrath, and this most brilliant of Australia sides, alongside the likes of Warne, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn, went out in style. It truly was the end of an era as Martyn, Langer and Warne joined McGrath in retiring in the aftermath. McGrath’s prediction came true and he was brilliant with 21 wickets adding the final chapter to a legendary Ashes career.

His 5-0 prediction this time around may have more chance were he playing himself, that’s for sure.