Glenn McGrath, the Australian fast bowler whose play has equalled his famed six Ashes victories. Now, he’s backing that up with an audacious call for a 5-0 whitewashing of the Australians in the next Ashes series here in 2025-26. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, McGrath emphasized his unwavering confidence in the Australian team’s capabilities, despite England’s recent successes under head coach Brendon McCullum.
This forecast follows a thrillingly tight 2023 Ashes series, which saw the hosts draw level 2-2 by winning the final two matches. In that series too, England were able to successfully defend the Ashes. No doubt about it, the ever-optimistic McGrath is confident that the Australians will sweep their next home series 3-0. He pointed out that Australia trounced England in the most recent Ashes series back in 2021-22. They rode that momentum to a commanding 4-0 victory.
She highlighted England’s positive, aggressive game under McCullum as a model to follow. He pointed to the fact that the side has won 25 of their last 41 Tests since McCullum’s appointment. Despite this, he noted that England still has not won a five-match Test series under McCullum’s leadership. He feels that although England are doing a fantastic job, they could do work on their mental preparation to set themselves up for success against Australia.
I would like to see big time accountability from the players. I want them to be more intellectually invested in the game, too. It’s exciting,” said McGrath. And he understood McCullum’s ambition to develop a fearless mentality in the England camp. He adamantly feels they must display more purpose in their play against the Australians.
The Australian team, captained by Pat Cummins, has been sizzling at home. Since 2018, they’ve lost just four of their most recent 15 Tests, winning 11 and drawing two. They have only lost two matches during this period, further solidifying McGrath’s confidence in their chances for the upcoming series.
McGrath has not backed down on his prediction, and so far, he is doubling down on it. “It’s very rare for me to make a prediction, isn’t it? And I can’t make a different one – 5-0,” he stated, underscoring his long-standing tradition of predicting a decisive victory for Australia.
The cricketing world can’t wait for the Ashes to come back around. McGrath’s deep cuts provide a thrilling view into the ways both teams are deceivingly preparing, and what they are capable of. And of course, Australia is looking to defend their home turf. At the same time, England are hell-bent on showing just how good they are. The stage is sure to make for an exhilarating competition!
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