McGrath and Warne have been a class apart

Two of the biggest heroes of the IPL thus far have been aged combatants dealing in a trade, that most aver, never gets you anything in the slam-bang version. But Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne have not only proved that bowling is vital to Twenty20 cricket but also that retirement is just a state of mind.

The implacable McGrath and the brilliant Warne may have been retired from international cricket for some time now, but have shone in a tournament that fetched the big names and the young guns from across the world with great expectations. The retired Australian players have not only performed well but also come out as inspirational figures for their teams, which have done very well till near the half-way stage.

The two have also proved what cricket experts have been crying horse about. Test cricket can produce the kind of players needed for the shorter versions of the game and not vice-versa. Thus, the urgent call to treat the classical days’ player as a species under threat.

The performances of these two have been as consistent as during their international careers. McGrath’s spot-on bowling has not gone for more than 29 runs in his four overs when eight an over has been the norm, often conceding just marginally in excess of 20. Bowling with the field restrictions in place, there is no astonishment in the fact that he has also got the early breakthrough more often than not, frustrated batsmen chancing their arms only to be vanquished.

McGrath has bagged eight wickets in his six outings for Delhi, including a 4-29 against Bangalore. During the first fortnight or so, juniors in his team have been clamouring to get tips from him and even a player like skipper Virender Sehwag, not known to have much love for opening bowlers, has harped on the benefit of being on the same side as the Aussie.

McGrath’s 563 Test scalps, 381 in ODIs and five in just two T20 internationals show his ability to have a good measure of batsmen, but his greatness lay in the fact that he called it quits when at the top, winning the ‘man of the tournament’ with 26 wickets in the 2007 World Cup in what was his swan song. The New South Wales bowler had by then already retired from Tests, along with Warne, with whom he formed a lethal combination for the team.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/columns/crajshekharrao/686/31390/mcgrath-and-warne-have-been-a-class-apart.html