Glenn McGrath's Rise — From the Outback to Test Cricket, 1993

McGrath had been spotted in 1988 in country cricket by Doug Walters, who recommended him to NSW. He moved to Sydney in 1989, made his first-class debut in 1992-93 and was in the Test squad within the year.

Merv Hughes had a knee injury heading into the New Zealand series. The Australian selectors went with the unknown McGrath rather than promoting an established Sheffield Shield veteran.

McGrath was a 23-year-old from Narromine, a country town in central New South Wales. He had played just eight first-class matches before being called into the Australian Test squad for the New Zealand series. His debut at the WACA replaced an injured Merv Hughes — a generation defining-handover. McGrath bowled 39 overs in the first innings, taking 2 for 92 (Mark Greatbatch his first Test wicket; Chris Harris the second), and 1 for 50 in the second. Australia won by an innings and 222 runs. The figures were unremarkable — but the bowling action, line, and economy that would later become his signature were already evident. The 1995 West Indies tour was the breakthrough: 17 wickets at 21.71 across the series, fundamental to Australia ending the 15-year Caribbean dominance. By 1996 McGrath was Australia's spearhead. By 2007 he had retired with 563 Test wickets — at the time the most by any fast bowler in history.

“I just bowled the same ball over and over and waited for the batter to make a mistake.”

“Pigeon was relentless. He'd bowl ten overs at the same spot.”

McGrath was a permanent feature of the Australian Test side from 1995 to 2007. With Shane Warne, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie he formed the most fearsome attack in modern cricket. Australia's record 16 consecutive Test wins (1999-2001 and 2005-2008) were both built on McGrath's lead bowling.