NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Cricket / Black Caps

Cricket: Glenn McGrath's incredible Black Caps prediction for Neil Wagner

news.com.au
5 Feb, 2020 07:10 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Former Australian bowler Glenn McGrath (L) turns out to be a superb talent-spotter. Photo / Photosport

Former Australian bowler Glenn McGrath (L) turns out to be a superb talent-spotter. Photo / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

While travelling South Africa in 2003, former Australian pace bowler Glenn McGrath made a bold prediction about a local teenager which turned out be completely true.

During the 2003 Cricket World Cup, McGrath and a few teammates - including Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee - were tasked with coaching a group of teenage pace bowlers in Pretoria.

McGrath wrote about the experience in his book World Cup Diary, and identified one 17-year-old as "someone to look out for in the future".

"There are some promising fast bowlers among them; they all have good action and bowl with some pace," McGrath wrote.

READ MORE:
• Live cricket updates: Black Caps v India, first ODI at Seddon Park
• Cricket: NZ Cricket boss David White hits back at critics of coach Gary Stead's sabbatical
• Cricket: Black Caps fan's 'global sportsmanship' goes viral in India
• Cricket: Black Caps blow it yet again, lose Twenty20 series 5-0 to India

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The one standout is a left armer, whose hero is Allan Donald - you can tell by the way he follows through, a mirror image of AD.

"His name is Neil Wagenaar and he'll be someone to look out for it the future."

Despite the incorrect spelling, McGrath was indeed referring to current Black Caps player Neil Wagner, who is currently ranked the world's second best Test bowler behind Australia's Pat Cummins.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Wagner migrated to New Zealand in 2008 to pursue a career in cricket, and made his Test debut four years later. Since then, the firey left-armer has taken 204 Test wickets at a stellar average of 26.63 - better than any other fulltime Kiwi bowler over the same period.

He is currently the seventh highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in Test history, quickly closing in on Chris Cairns and Chris Martin.

The 33-year-old was also New Zealand's highest wicket-taker during the recent Trans Tasman series, where he claimed 17 scalps at 22.76. He has dismissed Steve Smith - the best since Bradman - five times in four Test matches.

Didn’t know this!Amazing and extremely kind! Remember how awesome @glennmcgrath11 @BrettLee_58 was!Carried my bag back to my parents car!Feels like yesterday!!Pretty awesome memory and so cool to see them both a month ago in the middle of the SCG! https://t.co/ORUh9SZ56O

— Neil Wagner (@NeilWagner13) February 3, 2020

Glenn McGrath knew Neil Wagner would be great 🧙‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/l9woME44GV

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 4, 2020

Wagner had no idea McGrath had made those comments about his bowling in 2003, and thought it was "amazing" the cricket great even remembered him.

Discover more

Black Caps

Black Caps v India: All you need to know

04 Feb 09:00 PM
Black Caps

New captain, new coach: Black Caps' sudden switch for India ODIs

04 Feb 03:50 AM
Black Caps

Black Caps coach takes 'pre-planned break' amid horror run

04 Feb 04:30 AM
Black Caps

'Go get a job in a hardware store': Former captain blasts Black Caps coach

04 Feb 07:45 PM

"Didn't know this! Amazing and extremely kind!" Wagner posted on Twitter.

"Remember how awesome @glennmcgrath11 @BrettLee_58 was! Carried my bag back to my parents car! Feels like yesterday!

"Pretty awesome memory and so cool to see them both a month ago in the middle of the SCG!"

Wagner featured in the recent SCG New Year's Pink Test, where he handed McGrath a signed cap in support of breast cancer research.

New Zealand face cricket giants India in a two-Test series later this month, starting on Friday, 21st February in Wellington.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Black Caps

Black Caps

'Best place I've been': Jamieson puts injury woes behind him

28 Jun 12:00 AM
Black Caps

T20 freelancers commit to Walter's first Black Caps squad for T20 tri-series

26 Jun 06:00 PM
Black Caps

NZ Cricket understands fan frustration over lack of home tests

26 Jun 12:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Black Caps

'Best place I've been': Jamieson puts injury woes behind him

'Best place I've been': Jamieson puts injury woes behind him

28 Jun 12:00 AM

The 30-year-old has his sights locked on the Black Caps' huge home summer.

T20 freelancers commit to Walter's first Black Caps squad for T20 tri-series

T20 freelancers commit to Walter's first Black Caps squad for T20 tri-series

26 Jun 06:00 PM
NZ Cricket understands fan frustration over lack of home tests

NZ Cricket understands fan frustration over lack of home tests

26 Jun 12:00 AM
Three tests, surplus of Twenty20s as Black Caps summer fixtures announced

Three tests, surplus of Twenty20s as Black Caps summer fixtures announced

24 Jun 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP