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McGrath, cricket coach to talk comeback
Written by: By Dave Donaghy
2006-07-25 04:07:52
Glenn McGrath will meet Australian team coach John Buchanan in Brisbane on Wednesday to map out his return to cricket ahead of the Ashes series.
McGrath, 36, has not bowled a ball in a competitive match since January after his wife Jane was re-diagnosed with breast cancer.
He skipped the tours of South Africa and Bangladesh to help her through the ordeal.
But after being given Jane's blessing to return to cricket last month, McGrath heads to Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane to plot his return to the game with Buchanan.
"It'll be a really good opportunity for him just to get outdoors and have a bowl in front of a few of us, a few of the coaches, Troy Cooley and Dene Hills, Jamie Siddons and myself, and get a little bit of assessment of where he's at," Buchanan said.
"He says he's been physically doing some good work (with New South Wales) so that's a good sign.
"He hasn't played for a little period of time so he's got some catching up to do there but all signs are very good for his return."
Buchanan, who is in Cairns to watch the Top End Tour match between Australia A and Pakistan A, said there were several options for McGrath to consider.
The pair will discuss the possibility of McGrath returning for the ICC Champions Trophy in India, that starts on October 7, or playing state cricket for NSW in the Pura Cup.
Another possibility is for McGrath to make an earlier-than-anticipated appearance in a yet-to-be-confirmed triangular series with South Africa and Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in September.
"There's a whole range of options for him," Buchanan said.
"There's no exact science to say if you do that then that will be the outcome but I think we'll get a program that will have him ready for the first day of the first Test."
The opening Ashes Test gets underway at the Gabba on November 23.
Buchanan warned England's lesser-known players they would not be able to fly under the radar during the series if given a call-up with injuries threatening to cripple the current Ashes holders.
Skipper Michael Vaughan will miss the Test series with a knee injury, paceman Simon Jones (knee) is in serious doubt and spinner Ashley Giles has a hip injury.
Dynamic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is also battling to be fit.
Flintoff will undergo ankle surgery this week and is expected to be sidelined for three months.
"I'd still be confident that England will bring over pretty much just about a full complement," Buchanan said.
"I think they're making sure that if players do suffer an injury or suspect there is something not quite right then they'll make sure they pull them off the park and work on them until they get it right.
"But come Ashes time and come the 23rd of November then they should have just about a full complement to pick from.
"Their only real concern is Michael Vaughan at this stage, albeit there's a couple of others who are on the fringe, there's a Giles or a Jones or maybe a Flintoff, but I think they'll make sure they do everything possible to have everyone right for that tour."
Courtesy of AAP
