Bowling coach role an option for McGrath

Glenn McGrath's action is used as a model for young bowlers © Getty Images

Glenn McGrath has spent more than a decade keeping Australia's bowling stocks strong and he has been offered the chance to make sure they remain healthy after his retirement. While McGrath plans a rest of up to 12 months, he has been given the option by Tim Nielsen, the new national mentor, to work as a bowling coach.

"He would be sensible to take a break from cricket, but down the track you wouldn't knock back the opportunity to have a great bowler like him involved," Nielsen said in the Sunday Age. "We use his action as a visual reference point for a lot of our young quicks, especially at the centre of excellence [in Brisbane], and it would be great to use his knowledge."

McGrath, who ended his international career with 1 for 31 in his third World Cup final win, said in the lead-up to the match he felt he had "a role to play in the game later on". However, his first priorities when he returns from the Caribbean will be spending time with his family and giving attention to his property in western New South Wales.

Troy Cooley is Australia's full-time bowling coach, but Nielsen would be happy using McGrath as a part-time mentor or consultant. "He has given 15 years' service to Australian cricket so it also depends on where he is at in his life, but if the opportunity arose we would make it happen," he said. "It's something to talk to Glenn about in the future and see if he is available."