steve magoffin is the latest worcestershire player to identify his sporting hero – or heroes – in an occasional new series this winter on the worcestershire ccc website.
the australian paceman, who is just starting his second spell at New Road, admits he has “lived and breathed” cricket since he was a youngster.
and he admits west indian quick bowler curtly ambrose and aussie great glenn mcgrath, who spent the 2000 season at new road, have been big influences on his career.
magoffin said: “i’m a cricket junkie really and i’ve lived and breathed it since i was a young lad.
“my bowling idols, as a kid growing up, i loved curtly ambrose. he was just phenomenal to watch.
“you see him pop up on sky sports every so often doing his master classes and you can just sit and listen to him all day talking about bowling and how he went about it.
“obviously glen mcgrath was the king of line and length, top of off stump bowling throughout my development really.
“i modelled my approach to red ball bowling very much on his style to be honest.”
magoffin added: “i was 24 when my debut because the queensland attack was so strong – kasprowicz, noffke, mitchell johnson, so it was a tough team to get into.
“but i knew i wasn’t going to be the express pace guy.
“for me, it was making sure i was bowling lots of overs and making it very difficult for people to score and throwing in a few tricks every now and then and try and get a pole (wicket)!”
