Ageing bull: One year after retirement, McGrath still in a league of his own

If the IPL is reflective of the talent available in the world today — several top players from almost all teams are part of this 45-day tournament — then Glenn McGrath is proving all over again that he’s in a league of his own.

In a format that weighs in heavily in favour of broad bats and brute force, there have been a few stand-out performers with the ball in hand.

There was the wrong-footed skidder Sohail Tanvir’s exceptional 6-14 (his spell read a surreal 3-0-3-5 at one point) against the Chennai Super Kings. Warne has been exceptional for Jaipur, but his leg-spinners, googlies and flippers have played a smaller role in the Rajasthan Royals success than his sheer genius as captain. Shaun Pollock has proved thrifty in bits for Mumbai, while MS Gony has provided pleasant surprises for Chennai. None has matched McGrath for consistency though.

Through his international career, he had batsmen in two minds. For some, like former England captain Mike Atherton, it was usually four or five. You could wake him up from his sleep 20 years from now and he’d probably put the ball on that spot just short of good length, a few devastating centimeters outside off-stump. Forward or back? Drive or cut?

In his six matches in the IPL so far, McGrath has picked up seven wickets at a strike-rate of 20.5, an average of 21.14 and an economy rate of 6.16. Outstanding as they are, his impact on this IPL goes far beyond the figures. To a format that pushes the limits of madness, he brings a sense of control. To a team that thrives on the flamboyance of Virender Sehwag and...