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McGrath ranked Australia's top cricketer

Glenn McGrath was on Thursday ranked Australian cricket's most precious commodity, ahead of record-breaking captain Steve Waugh and the nation's most successful Test bowler Shane Warne.

The Australian Cricket Board refused to divulge the rankings this week when they released their 25 contracted players for the next year. But skipper Waugh responded to reports he is the highest ranked, and subsequently the beneficiary of a 95,000-dollar (55,000 US) pay rise, by revealing McGrath would hold the top ranking for the second consecutive year.

"Glenn McGrath is the number one ranked player in the Australian cricket team," Waugh told a Sydney radio station Thursday.

"I receive a captain's allowance which would probably put me on top or close to it. Glenn would be the highest paid player at the moment."

McGrath stands to earn more than 600,000 dollars (348,000 US) in the next year from the ACB in the form of a 315,000-dollar retainer, up by 95,000 dollars from last year, plus match payments.

McGrath's number one ranking came despite Waugh's shrewd and aggressive captaincy placing Australian cricket on a pedestal as the world's best team.

In the past 12 months, Waugh guided Australia to a world record 14 one-day matches without defeat that included a World Cup triumph.

Waugh's ruthless Test team have won their past 10 matches - the greatest winning streak in Australian history and one short of equalling the world record of the West Indies teams of the mid-1980s.

Waugh has played in every one of Australia's 17 Tests since March last year, making 1160 runs and five centuries. In the same period, McGrath claimed 60 Test wickets at an average of 21.97.