Ashes 2023: Glenn McGrath predicts 5-0 victory for Australia, reflecting on the start of the new WTC cycle

The highly anticipated Ashes series between traditional rivals England and Australia is set to commence on Friday, June 16 and Glenn McGrath has made a bold prediction. Led by Pat Cummins, Australia, fresh off their victory over India in the World Test Championship final, will aim to outperform England, who recently defeated Ireland in a one-off Test match.

This series holds significance for both teams as it marks the start of the new WTC 2023-25 cycle. Notably, Australia's cricketing legend Glenn McGrath has once again predicted a 5-0 victory for Australia over England, reminiscent of his previous forecasts.

"'5-0," he told the Daily Mail. "But I'm not going to ever say anything else, am I? I might be being a bit tongue-in-cheek.

"Australia have not won a series in England since 2001. They will need to start well. They can't let England go 1-0 up with the way England are playing at the moment."

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In discussing his playing days, McGrath shared insights into the Australian team's approach. He disclosed that they used to apply immense pressure on the opposition and had confidence in their ability to successfully pursue any target in the fourth inning.

"The Australia team I played in played with a lot of freedom and we backed ourselves, but England have taken it to the next level. They feel they can win from any situation. They put the pressure straight back on the opposition and back themselves to chase down any target in the fourth innings. That's something pretty new. When you've got the buy-in from the whole team, that's pretty special".

"Test cricket is under pressure and you've got to keep it fresh and exciting. The cricket they are playing is definitely doing that" he added.

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