McGrath and the media

Glenn McGrath has again selected his "bunnies" for the upcoming Ashes series, Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss. McGrath has been doing this for years, and it has become a ritual, for both McGrath and the media. Well, not really. McGrath did not once refer to the pair as bunnies, but revealed the young batsmen who he thought were doing well.

The day after McGrath had uttered those words, Mike Selvey, usually so fair in his journalism, wrote an article of bias and ridiculous animosity. That Selvey was being serious makes it utterly laughable. Give yourself a laugh here.

At least Alex Brown, the Australian journalist, had the sense to acknowledge McGrath's constant toying with the media. Excerpts below:

Here's the problem with speaking to Glenn McGrath: he is seldom serious. Drop in on a press conference and you'll hear Australia's most prolific paceman, a grin barely concealed, rattling on about how "the body's feeling better than ever", "the ball's coming out better than ever" and "the focus is better than ever."

Another line fed to the press. Another cause for chortling over the morning papers with teammates. And this is hardly a one-off gag. A Google search of "Glenn McGrath" and "better than ever" comes back with no fewer than 590 responses.

Unearthing McGrath's genuine sentiments, therefore, is often near impossible. Over a decade in the spotlight has taught him to hide his true feelings from the public, without coming across surly or secretive. Crack a joke, feed 'em a headline and you're away. Media, bowled McGrath 0.

Mike Selvey, bowled McGrath 0.