Glenn McGrath has repeated a familiar rallying call by predicting Australia will inflict a 5-0 Ashes whitewash on England this summer.
The former pace attack leader of Australia’s all-conquering Test team in the early 2000s has habitually forecast thrashings for England in the past, and has been embarrassed when Australia have not performed as he expected, notably in the 2005 series.
He played a part in Australia triumphing 5-0 down under in 2006-07, and again envisaged the same result in England in 2009, only for Andrew Strauss to lead the home side to their triumph.
McGrath had more recently refrained from trumpeting Australia as unbeatable by England, even before their 5-0 demolition job in 2013-14, but that is how he again positions Michael Clarke’s Test team.
With England toiling to sorry effect at the World Cup, McGrath is looking to the summer and sees more misery on the cards when Alastair Cook, ousted as captain of the one-day side in December, returns to take the helm of the five-day team.
He said, according to BBC Sport: “If the Australian team keeps playing as they are, they’re going to go to England full of confidence. I can’t see England beating them and I’m more than happy to predict 5-0.”
McGrath, 45, expects the World Cup debacle to be followed by change in the England camp. He said: “I thought they struggled to take wickets or build up any pressure and they didn’t look potent at all. There are going to be changes, whether it’s coaching or the players. A lot of responsibility lies with the players.”