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http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...world-says-glenn-mcgrath-20170101-gtkgce.html
Glenn McGrath believes Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have proven themselves "easily" the best fast bowling combination in world cricket when they're at their peak and backed them to lead the way for Australia in any conditions, from the Sydney Test against Pakistan to the turning tracks of India next month.
Starc's match-winning exploits in Melbourne completed a bumper 2016 for the left-arm speedster and Hazlewood enters the third Test against Pakistan also coming off a fine year in which he has raced to 100 Test wickets.
The third of the Australian pace pack, Jackson Bird, has also been excellent since his recall in Adelaide but Starc and Hazlewood double act has left McGrath offering the highest praise.
"There's so many things to like, they're both tall, strong, one left-hander, one right-hander," said the fast bowling great, as he launched the Pink Test on behalf of the McGrath Foundation.
"Mitchell Starc when he's on fire swings the new ball, bowls attacking lengths and is just a real wicket-taker. When he's bowling at his best with swinging the new ball and then getting reverse swing, it doesn't matter what the pitch conditions are ... he just takes them out of consideration just because of the length he bowls.
"And then you have Josh at the other end who just bowls good areas, he gets that bounce, little bit of shape, bit of seam and he gets that control so he can really build that pressure up. So when they're both on fire I think it's easily the best fast bowling combination in the world."
Australia have picked three spinners in the squad for the third Test against Pakistan in Sydney as they cast an eye towards the looming series in India.
But McGrath, who along with fellow pacemen Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz played a major part in the historic series victory there in 2004, argues Australia should thrust their faith behind their seamers to lead them on the subcontinent.
"You've got to play to your strengths don't you and if our strengths are our fast bowlers we have to look at ways of taking wickets," McGrath said.
"If we have quality spinners that are going to bowl well over there then happy days but I think we have to pick our best team.
"When I played I just looked at the benefits I could get out of India. To me it was the new ball – it would swing a little bit and get good carry so you'd have to use the new ball, then it would get a little bit older and a little bit softer, wouldn't do much.
"You ring the field up a bit more so you'd have slips to start with and then ring the field up a bit more and then when the ball went reverse swing then you could attack a bit more. That's what we focused on when we went to India and the two guys out there they bowl well with the new ball and really well with the old ball so I think they'll still do well in India."
Glenn McGrath believes Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have proven themselves "easily" the best fast bowling combination in world cricket when they're at their peak and backed them to lead the way for Australia in any conditions, from the Sydney Test against Pakistan to the turning tracks of India next month.
Starc's match-winning exploits in Melbourne completed a bumper 2016 for the left-arm speedster and Hazlewood enters the third Test against Pakistan also coming off a fine year in which he has raced to 100 Test wickets.
The third of the Australian pace pack, Jackson Bird, has also been excellent since his recall in Adelaide but Starc and Hazlewood double act has left McGrath offering the highest praise.
"There's so many things to like, they're both tall, strong, one left-hander, one right-hander," said the fast bowling great, as he launched the Pink Test on behalf of the McGrath Foundation.
"Mitchell Starc when he's on fire swings the new ball, bowls attacking lengths and is just a real wicket-taker. When he's bowling at his best with swinging the new ball and then getting reverse swing, it doesn't matter what the pitch conditions are ... he just takes them out of consideration just because of the length he bowls.
"And then you have Josh at the other end who just bowls good areas, he gets that bounce, little bit of shape, bit of seam and he gets that control so he can really build that pressure up. So when they're both on fire I think it's easily the best fast bowling combination in the world."
Australia have picked three spinners in the squad for the third Test against Pakistan in Sydney as they cast an eye towards the looming series in India.
But McGrath, who along with fellow pacemen Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz played a major part in the historic series victory there in 2004, argues Australia should thrust their faith behind their seamers to lead them on the subcontinent.
"You've got to play to your strengths don't you and if our strengths are our fast bowlers we have to look at ways of taking wickets," McGrath said.
"If we have quality spinners that are going to bowl well over there then happy days but I think we have to pick our best team.
"When I played I just looked at the benefits I could get out of India. To me it was the new ball – it would swing a little bit and get good carry so you'd have to use the new ball, then it would get a little bit older and a little bit softer, wouldn't do much.
"You ring the field up a bit more so you'd have slips to start with and then ring the field up a bit more and then when the ball went reverse swing then you could attack a bit more. That's what we focused on when we went to India and the two guys out there they bowl well with the new ball and really well with the old ball so I think they'll still do well in India."
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