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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| McGrath rejects retirement claim | McGrath rejects retirement claim |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Glenn McGrath has dismissed suggestions that he is contemplating retirement after the Ashes series. | Glenn McGrath has dismissed suggestions that he is contemplating retirement after the Ashes series. |
| The claim was made by former Australia paceman Geoff Lawson, but McGrath insisted he was "still hungry" to play Test cricket. | The claim was made by former Australia paceman Geoff Lawson, but McGrath insisted he was "still hungry" to play Test cricket. |
| "I play Tests because I love the game, I don't see myself as too old. I feel I've still got a bit to achieve," the 36-year-old commented. | "I play Tests because I love the game, I don't see myself as too old. I feel I've still got a bit to achieve," the 36-year-old commented. |
| "I don't remember feeling this fresh my whole career." | "I don't remember feeling this fresh my whole career." |
| McGrath, who has not played a Test since January, says modern conditioning techniques have prolonged his career. | McGrath, who has not played a Test since January, says modern conditioning techniques have prolonged his career. |
| "Playing at 36 is just a natural progression for the way cricket is going. "With technology and the way we train and prepare, who knows, in another 10 or 15 years guys could be playing at 45, 46?" | "Playing at 36 is just a natural progression for the way cricket is going. "With technology and the way we train and prepare, who knows, in another 10 or 15 years guys could be playing at 45, 46?" |
| McGrath is determined to avoid a repeat of the 2005 series in England when he missed two Tests because of injury and both of them ended in defeats for Australia. | McGrath is determined to avoid a repeat of the 2005 series in England when he missed two Tests because of injury and both of them ended in defeats for Australia. |
| "Sitting on the sidelines knowing I can't do anything to help the guys, that was the most frustrating thing I have done in cricket," he said. | "Sitting on the sidelines knowing I can't do anything to help the guys, that was the most frustrating thing I have done in cricket," he said. |
| 606 COMMENT: Your thoughts on the Ashes | 606 COMMENT: Your thoughts on the Ashes |
| He believes the absence of Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Simon Jones from England's team has given Australia the edge this time around. | |
| "The team they have at the moment isn't the same as it was for the last Ashes series. They had been winning for 18 months prior to that series, everyone was in form and they had the same team. | |
| "This time they have a different captain and a lot of new players and quite a few of their big players are just coming back from injury so they are a lot more unsettled," he said. | |
| McGrath dismissed suggestions that a loss of pace could reduce the threat he poses to the England batsmen. | |
| "I remember in 1998 and Steve Waugh was getting stuck into me because he was bowling quicker than me. It's about eight years later now and my pace is just about the same," he insisted. | |
| "Pace is not the be-all and end-all. If I get a nick and it's caught by theslips then it's still out. | |
| "There's been a little bit of talk about England coming after me, but I tendto think not, especially now with Marcus Trescothick not being there. | |
| "He's such an experienced player and it means everyone has to move forward a spot. | |
| "If they come out and try to take me on and lose a couple of wickets thenall of a sudden we're in the middle order and England would be in big trouble." |