The legendary fast bowler lets FHM in on his time with the greatest cricket team ever.
We’ve seen you on the ads plugging Cricket on Wii. Been sledging the kids?
Yeah, I’m pretty competitive. It’s not quite the same when you’re playing your son and daughter when you’re bowling and they’re hitting you for sixes. I can still feel it, but I control it a little better at home. They sledge me more.
Now, we trust you’ll forgive us when we say that you weren’t really known for your batting...
That’s being a little bit harsh. I think a lot of people enjoyed my batting.
Yeah, the bowlers.
[Laughs] It was funny, whenever I played at the SCG – which is my home and favourite ground – I always felt like raising my bat, because I seemed to get a better cheer whenever I walked out rather than when I came back in.
Your last Twenty20 hinted you might still be our best fast bowler. Can we announce a 2010/11 Ashes comeback?
Definitely not! I’m happily retired from international cricket. I played in the IPL and I’ve still got another season there so I’ll see what happens. To come back for a one-off game was a bit of fun and that’s how I treated it. The fact it was mic’ed up gave people a better insight into the game and more what the bowlers are thinking. I’m getting too old; it’s time for the young guys to do it.
So who’s the best fast bowler at the moment?
Unfortunately, Brett Lee is injured and he definitely had that mantle. The guy who’s really impressed me has been Mitchell Johnson. You’d probably class him as an all-rounder, but when he gets it right at full pace, I’d rate him the best in the world.
You made hitting line and length look like a piece of piss; he can’t seem to do the same.
I had the accuracy and consistency because I couldn’t do anything else and I wasn’t that quick. With Mitch, one weapon is his unpredictability and gets in the high 140s, even 150s. At that pace it’s hard to get that consistency, so when he’s on fire and swinging he’s definitely a handful.
Pigeon's predictions for the 2010 Ashes...