Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath has tried to dampen speculation he plans to follow Shane Warne into retirement, telling reporters it ”was business as usual”.
Rumours have been rife in Australian media that McGrath is planning to join Warne in quitting Test cricket after next month’s final Ashes Test in Sydney.
Warne has already confirmed his retirement plans but McGrath is keeping everyone guessing.
”All I’m saying is that, to me, it’s business as usual,” he told a Sydney radio station on Friday.
”I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
Australian newspapers, quoting unnamed sources, have speculated that McGrath will retire from Test cricket after the Ashes but may continue playing limited-overs cricket until the World Cup in the West Indies.
The lanky paceman said he was planning to play the one-day series against England and New Zealand in January and February before making an decision about the World Cup in March and April.
”I’m just preparing for these next two Test matches, then it’s the one-day series and then I’ll take it from there,” he said.
”I’m still enjoying it. I’m still loving playing and I’ve still got a lot of cricket in me.”
McGrath has only just returned to the team after taking eight months off to look after his two children while his wife underwent cancer treatment.
The 36-year-old helped Australia win the Champions Trophy for the first time, in October and November, then captured six wickets in Australia’s first Ashes Test win in Brisbane.
However, speculation about his future began to surface when he struggled on a flat pitch in Adelaide and he was noticeably sluggish in the field in Perth, where Australia regained the Ashes.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting told reporters in Melbourne he would be surprised if McGrath retired.
”I actually sat next to him on the plane and he can’t believe some of the attention and some of the things that have been written in the paper,” Ponting said.
”I certainly haven’t had the conversation with Glenn that I had with Shane the other night so that would to me indicate that he’s thinking about playing a bit longer yet.” — Reuters