Moxon and Gale lead plaudits for retiring McGrath

McGrath, 37, has retired after 18 years and 619 games for Yorkshire due to persistent problems with an arthritic thumb.

“He’s been a great servant both on and off the field. He was very proud to represent the county and he did it with distinction,” said Moxon of the former captain.

“It was not only on the field but also in the dressing room, where in the last few years in particular he was the life and soul with his dry sense of humour.”

Indeed it was Moxon - Yorkshire captain at the time - who informed McGrath that he would be making his debut at Bradford Park Avenue against Glamorgan in 1995 due to a finger injury to Moxon himself.

And it seems fitting that it was Moxon who oversaw McGrath’s final season in a Yorkshire shirt, as he made significant contributions towards Yorkshire’s successful promotion bid.

McGrath hit 76 not out and 68 in vital wins against Gloucesteshire and Essex, respectively, towards the back end of the season, wins which helped secure Yorkshire’s Division One status for their 150th anniversary year.

Ultimately it was a recurring thumb injury that forced McGrath into retirement, with Moxon explaining that the pair sat down and discussed the situation, before McGrath ultimately took the decision himself.

“He’d been struggling with his thumb for a while now and he had to weigh up the pros and cons of coping with the injury,” added Moxon.

“It comes to everybody eventually.”

McGrath has been a long servant to Yorkshire, playing as a first-team regular for 17 years and prior to that involved in the county set-up from aged 12 onwards.

He was awarded his county cap in 1999 and a beneficiary year 10 years later, before playing a further three seasons for the club.

The Bradford-born batsman played 257 first-class games for the club, scoring a total of 14,698 runs at an average of just under 40 including 35 centuries, and has been a significant contributor with the ball, taking 134 championship wickets throughout his career.

It was these performances, specifically those in the early part of his career that led to his call-up to the national squad.

He earned his England Test debut against Zimbabwe in May 2003, and that was followed later on that summer by his ODI bow against Pakistan.

In 2003, McGrath took on the captaincy of Yorkshire, but stepped down from the role to concentrate on his England career.

However, he never lived up to his potential in ODI’s, playing just 14 matches and averaging 16 with the bat.

Conversely, he was unlucky to be dropped from the Test side after only four matches, in which he scored 201 runs in his five innings at an average of 40, with a best score of 81.

In 2009 he took on the Yorkshire captaincy for a second time.

However, with his form suffering, McGrath subsequently stepped down prior to the 2010 season, allowing Andrew Gale to take over.

Having watched and admired McGrath while growing up, the current captain was full of praise for the ‘one-club’ man.

Gale said: “I learned a great deal from playing alongside Mags. He was a great player, who had the ability to score important innings at crucial times in matches.

“The biggest thing I will miss will be his presence in the dressing room. He was a great pro, who had an infectious personality that always brought the best out of the other players in the team.

“I count Anthony as a good friend as well as a team-mate and I know what a tough decision this will have been for him as he took so much pleasure and pride in representing Yorkshire.

“He will be missed by everyone connected with the team and we wish him every success in his future career.”

Among others to pay tribute to the former captain was the former manager of Yorkshire Cricket School, Ralph Middlebrook, who remembers McGrath playing in his much younger days.

“I can remember him getting a century for Yorkshire Schools Under-16s in the afternoon and then going straight to play for Bankfoot Under-17s and hitting a century against Pudsey Congs,” said Middlebrook.

“His footwork as a batsman was so quick. He could get into position faster than any other player.”