Australian bowlers need to be consistent: McGrath

SYDNEY - Former Test paceman Glenn McGrath Tuesday backed Australia’s battered fast bowlers but said they needed to be more consistent.

McGrath, who was at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to promote the McGrath Foundation’s fundraising for Breast Care Nurses across Australia, said he had “total faith” in the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, who have now endured two unsuccessful Ashes campaign.

“They’ve shown they can do it, (they) can perform well at international level,” McGrath was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.

“You want to be a little bit more consistent. That’s probably their goal to get that consistency there and bowl well in partnerships. They’ve proven in the past they can do it, I’ve got total faith in them that the boys they have chosen are the right ones and now it’s just a matter of getting out there and doing the business.”

McGrath, however, was at a loss for words to describe the inconsistency shown by the Australian bowling attack. “I am not sure, it’s been a funny old summer with Australia dominating then England dominating, then Australia dominating.

“England have definitely been the more consistent side with their bowling plans. The way they’ve bowled in partnerships and batted as well. The challenge is up to our boys. If it follows the same pattern it has all summer then we should dominate this Test match, shouldn’t we?”