McGrath ready for the Ashes

Glenn McGrath is hopeful of returning to Australia's line-up ahead of the Ashes series following his wife's recovery from cancer treatment. McGrath, 36, the game's most successful Test fast bowler with 542 wickets, has not played any form of cricket since his wife Jane was diagnosed with her third bout of the illness on February 3.

But McGrath said his wife was now "very close to being back to 100%" and she had encouraged him to "get yourself out to the cricket". "I'm ready to go now, I'm back into training," he told the Daily Telegraph. "I've had a good break and my wife's going really well so it's always a good sign when she wants me back playing or wants me out of the house - that means she's getting back to 100%."

McGrath plans to make his comeback in the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in India in October as preparation for the Ashes series that begins in Brisbane on November 23.