'I want the new ball' - McGrath

Glenn McGrath hopes Ricky Ponting will call on him to open the bowling © Getty Images

Glenn McGrath wants to ease Australia's fast-bowling problems by taking the new ball and returning to his best for his farewell at the World Cup. McGrath spent most of the CB Series at first change as Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken opened but was given the chance to lead when Lee was ruled out of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with an ankle injury.

Australia are still considering the use of a four-man pace attack and Shaun Tait would shape as a likely replacement for Lee. "With Brett not being here, it will be interesting to see what we do with our bowling line-up and whether I take the new ball again, or whether we think about Mitch [Mitchell Johnson] or Taity taking the new ball," McGrath told the Sunday Telegraph.

"I love taking the new ball, obviously that's the way I would prefer to go. But I'll sit down and I'll have a think about the game and which is best suited to the team as well as talk to Buck [John Buchanan] and Ricky [Ponting] and the other guys."

McGrath, who has 45 World Cup wickets from his previous three tournaments, will be a key if Australia are to regain their ability to strangle the opposition in the final overs and during powerplays. Besides Bracken and Stuart Clark, Australia's attack is relatively inexperienced and Johnson, Tait and Shane Watson will rely on McGrath to lead by example.

"The advice I have been giving to the other guys is as long as you are bowling where you want to bowl the ball, at least you can change if the plans are wrong,'' he said. "If the ball is not going where you want it, then you have got no hope.

"We will just focus on that, hopefully hit our yorkers a bit better than we have done and mix it up with a slower ball or a short ball. You don't want to get too predictable on these grounds. These days 80 to 100 runs is pretty much standard [in the last ten overs]. Obviously it's up to the bowlers to execute things a little bit better."

McGrath said it was sad to be embarking on his last tour with his Australian team-mates after a 14-year international career. "But the other side of it is come the end of this tour I get to spend more time at home and get on with the rest of my life," he said. "I am really looking forward to that."