McGrath's really put his foot in his mouth this time...

[Mr. Wicket]

Recently retired strike-bowler Glenn McGrath has backed his former new-ball partner Brett Lee to lead the Test attack in his absence. McGrath defended Lee's recent wicketless Pura Cup outing against Queensland, insisting the conditions conspired against the quicks at the SCG. "The way wickets are becoming these days in Australia, where they're so flat, so batsmen friendly, especially here in Sydney - I think more of a concern are the wickets we're preparing," McGrath argued. "It was good to see Matty Hayden get (179) and Simon Katich to go out there and get (306), a huge effort." var zMSsite="cricket"; var zMSsection="home"; /*zMSsecureMe(); // use this line if site is secure */ zMScallGeneric(); zMSgetJS("position=island&adsize=300x250"); "So some guys did well out of it, obviously tough bowling, but it's good for Brett to have a real good hit-out - he did that and he'll be ready for the first Test." Lee, a veteran of 59-Tests, is now the senior bowler in Ricky Ponting's side following the retirement of McGrath and spin king Shane Warne. And McGrath is in no doubt Lee will thrive under the weight of added responsibility. "I think he loves that," McGrath said. "He's got real passion for the game and when you're out bowling you can really focus on what you have to do as well as helping the other guys out." "I've got full confidence in 'Binger' (Lee) to be able to do that very well."

Christ, are you joking? And where do I begin? Let's see. Flat pitch, agreed. But figures of 50 overs for 188 runs for 0 wickets is still downright disgraceful (especially when almost half came in a situation where QLD were trying to draw). 11 wides and a handful of noballs as well - even worse. The conditions were just as bad for the other quicks, yet Bracken at least kept things tight, between 2 and 3 an over most of the time, Clark kept it tight and took wickets and Noffke finished with 5/108 in 35 - damn impressive considering the way NSW were battering it. Bung was the only bowler to deliver utter rubbish right through. And the 'weight of added responsibility'? Hello? How about the 05 Ashes, where McGrath was injured half the time, Dizzy lost form and Lee had the responsibility of leading the attack with the new ball? 20 wickets, average of 41.1, e/r of 4.29. Bled runs hard and fast, picked up wickets only intermittently, was expensive and inconsistent, and his predictable, one dimensional rubbish meant that England could pile up big totals or chase down targets quickly. How about against India in 03/04, where he was looked at (quite stupidly) as a senior strike bowler in the absence of McWarne... and produced epics like 4/200 in 48 overs at the MCG, and 4/276 (at over 5 an over!) at the SCG? The man is crap - overrated, overhyped CRAP, pure and simple. He's got passion, he's got heart and pace, he runs in hard and ends most days with a big smile on his face - but that means precisely **** all if all he can do is bowl that sort of rubbish unless he's given incredibly incompetent opposition (England in the MCG/SCG tests last season) or very friendly tracks (as on the last tour of SAF). Give me a real quick bowler any day over him.

[Cricketics]

i would still love to see him play for aus.. Guy is good for international oppositions if not against the locals

[sm332]

i hope Lee plays all tests .. . 2/125 guaranteed for us