Glenn McGrath's English-born wife, Jane, had no idea she'd met an Australian hero until after she'd moved Down Under to live with him.
She thought the man she'd met in Hong Kong in 1995 had a lot of mates, because so many people would say g'day to him on the street. Now she's well aware of his fame.
And if McGrath accomplishes his goals in the upcoming Ashes series, there's unlikely to be many English people anywhere who don't recognise him.
The 35-year-old paceman needs one wicket to become only the fourth bowler to claim 500 wickets in Test cricket. A further 20 and he'll surpass West Indies great Courtney Walsh as the most prolific fast bowler of all time.
And he's confident he'll do it in England, starting with his 500th wicket at Lord's, the spiritual home of cricket.
"It couldn't have been scripted any better - the opportunity to take the 500th wicket at Lord's is the ultimate. It's worked out well," McGrath said in an interview on Wednesday.
"Lord's is so different from any other ground. When you are running in to bowl the first ball of a Test match, there's just silence and anticipation ... it's got a special aura."
He's aiming for 30 wickets in the five-Test series, starting at Lord's on July 21.
"Obviously, firstly the goal is to get that 500th wicket, very quickly after I start bowling," he said. "The next major milestone is to get 520 wickets - Courtney has the record for a fast bowler at 519 and he's a guy I always admired.
"He's an amazing bowler - a freak I guess you could call him, that he could be so well for so long, injury free, is just amazing. If I can get up and pass Courtney, it's going to be a big honour."
Despite having spearheaded the Australian bowling attack for a decade, McGrath had to contend with speculation he'd never return to his peak after spending 12 months out of the international arena following an ankle operation in 2003.
He answered his doubters with a man-of-the-match performance in his first Test back - a win over Sri Lanka at Darwin - then helped Australia win its first Test series in India in decades.
In the southern summer, he was dominant against New Zealand and Pakistan - taking a career-best 8-24 in Perth - as Australia won all six Tests at home and then backed it up with another 2-0 series win in New Zealand.
Never one to back away from a challenge, McGrath has targeted England's leading batsmen as the players whose stumps he most wants to rattle.
England captain Michael Vaughan - the leading batsman in the last Ashes series despite England's 4-1 loss - and Andrew Strauss top his list of must-take wickets.
It's an intimidation technique he picked up from the West Indian teams of the 1980s, when a fearsome pace quartet reigned supreme.
"If we can get on top of Vaughan, it can have a big effect on the rest of the England lineup. And Strauss is a bloke who has been playing really well for them. He's got five Test hundreds already, which is a fair effort.
"If I, as an opening bowler, can get on top of him and start ripping into their middle order, then it makes our job so much easier."
McGrath doesn't think he'll be the only one pressuring Vaughan in England.
"If I can knock him over once or twice in the first Test match, then the media can do the rest by saying I've got my bunny again or I've got the guy targeted again," McGrath said.
"Last series he did play well, but since then his form hasn't been anywhere near what he showed in Australia.
"I think the pressure of being captain will be a lot more for him in this series because they're expected to easily compete with us, if not beat us."
And if No. 2-ranked English team thinks it can beat top-ranked Australia, McGrath thinks they are riding for a fall.
"They talk it up before every Ashes tour. True, they've proably got a better team this time than in recent series - their form has been good. But I dont think they've been tested that much.
"I was surprised they didn't do as well in South Africa as I thought they would have done. I think they placed a little bit too much importance on three or four players, and if those blokes don't perform, then they're struggling."
McGrath has 499 wickets from 109 Tests, averaging 21.22. He's slightly better in head-to-heads against England, taking 117 wickets in 22 Tests, averaging 20.03.
But in England, he's even better, snaring 68 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 18.27, including a best return of 8-38 at Lord's.
No wonder he can't wait to get to Lord's a venue he considers Australia's home away from home.
AP
