Glenn McGrath picks top fast bowler in the world

Glenn McGrath is in India for his role with the MRF Pace Foundation, overseeing the country’s next generation of talented fast bowlers, and he picked the top quicks in the world. He nominated fellow Aussie left-armer Mitchell Starc as the planet’s number one quick at present.

Among a hot field of fast bowlers which included Australia’s Josh Hazlewood and South Africa’s bowling spearhead Kagiso Rabada and English swing king James Anderson, it was Starc who had the upper-hand according to the decorated legendary speedster.

“(Starc’s) ability to bowl attacking lengths with the new ball and reverse the older ball at over 150kph makes him a difficult proposition for batsmen,” McGrath said at a function to mark a 25-year relationship between the MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia.

“Australia is lucky to be blessed with a formidable line-up of pacemen including Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson,” he said as reported by Cricket Australia.

Though Starc, being prone to injury, has been off the field as he missed Australia’s last two Tests against India earlier this year with a stress fracture in his right foot, he has taken on the role of spearhead impressively since the retirement of Mitchell Johnson in November 2015, highlighted by a dominant tour of Sri Lanka last year, in which he took 24 wickets in just three Tests – the most ever by an Australian paceman in a three-Test series.

McGrath on emerging Indian quicks

McGrath was a young quick in the first batch of MRF Pace Foundation speedsters back in 1992, and the 47-year-old said he was impressed by the current group of Indian youngsters. He particularly mentioned Basil Thampi who was bought by the Gujarat Lions and remained one of their top picks in this year’s IPL.

“The Indian attack has very good bowlers now and the emergence of names like Basil Thampi and a few others is only going to help the team in the long run,” he said.

“(Thampi) has come on very well. His performances in the IPL this year won him the emerging player award and he has learnt a lot at the academy.”