Glenn McGrath not surprised by Australia’s early exit

Australia’s shock exit in the group stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup may have surprised many but not former pacer Glenn McGrath, who questioned some of the selections.

“I said I was concerned about Australia. I thought they might make the Super Eight, but to be honest, I didn’t feel they would progress much further. The fact that they didn’t even make the last eight is disappointing,” said McGrath, who is in the city as part of his annual visit to the MRF Pace Foundation, which he heads.

“Steve Smith, who had been in form in the Big Bash [League], was there but not selected. Matt Renshaw scored 65 (against Zimbabwe) and was not picked for the next game (vs Sri Lanka). I am not sure what they were thinking, and you do wonder about the selections,” McGrath added.

The Australian legend picked India and South Africa to reach the summit clash. “I think South Africa has been the team of the tournament so far. They will be tough to beat, but on their day, India can do something special. England is a dangerous team, but they have been all over the place.”

Bumrah, a class apart

On India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, McGrath hailed his exceptional skill, saying he is probably among the two best bowlers in T20 cricket today. “I’m always a big fan of Bumrah. The way he goes about it, he understands the game so well. Bumrah is a big-game player, and these guys thrive in such situations.

“To me, the two best T20 bowlers in the world are Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood. They bowl almost Test-match lengths in T20s, and it’s still effective.”

All praise for Healy

McGrath also heaped praise on Alyssa Healy, who retired from One-Day Internationals on Sunday. “She’s been a quality player for Australia for a long time, probably the backbone of the side. She will be remembered as one of the greats of the game, not just women’s cricket.”