McGrath to quit all forms of cricket

Glenn McGrath has made a great return to Test cricket, but reports say this series will be his last © Getty Images Enlarge

Glenn McGrath will announce his retirement from all forms of cricket next week, according to his home-town newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald. The paper said it had confirmed that McGrath would not continue his one-day career so he could play at the World Cup and the Sydney Test against England would be his final match.

If the report is correct, McGrath will not take part in the limited-overs tri-series with the Australia team starting in January. The paper said his wife Jane's ongoing battle with cancer was a reason behind McGrath's decision.

Initially some news sources had speculated that McGrath may extend his career long enough to defend Australia's World Cup title in the West Indies starting in March. The Sydney Morning Herald claimed that speculation selectors had told McGrath he was an unlikely starter for the squad, was wrong.

McGrath, who sits behind only Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in the list of all-time Test wicket-takers, made a strong return for the current Ashes series after nearly a year out of the game to care for his wife. He has claimed 13 dismissals in the series so far, including 6 for 50 in the first innings at Brisbane. McGrath is also Australia's leading wicket-taker in one-day internationals.