Sydney: Today, Madame Tussauds Sydney along with the superstar sportsman himself proudly revealed the newest addition to the attraction; a wax figure of Aussie cricket legend, Glenn McGrath.
Glenn McGrath was the winner of the Madame Tussauds Sydney Aussie Votes campaign where the Australian public was asked to cast their vote on which Australian sporting hero they wanted to see immortalised in wax.
Capturing the essence of his stellar career on the cricket field, the wax figure portrays Glenn in mid-action, about to deliver another fast ball down the wicket. Glenn was on hand for the reveal to re-enact the pose that has made him a favourite in so many Australian homes.
Portrayed from the success of the 2006/2007 Ashes series, Glenn’s wax figure is wearing the Australian Test team whites, with his number 358 embroidered on his shirt. Glenn generously donated both the spiked shoes that the wax figure wears as well as the ball in his hand.
To bring much needed inspiration to the current Australian cricket team during the current Ashes series in England, Glenn McGrath’s figure now stands proudly alongside fellow Australian cricket greats in the Sports Zone including Shane Warne and Donald Bradman, as well as Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar.
Having recently arrived off the plane back from England after the recent Test match at Lord’s, Glenn was overwhelmed when he first saw his figure and said; “Having been chosen by the Australian public to be immortalised in wax and stand alongside other sporting greats is truly an honour. The whole making-of process of the wax figure has been a real eye opener and I’m very pleased to see they have recreated my bowling stance perfectly”.
Expertly crafted, the Glenn McGrath wax figure took a staggering 800 hours, 60 Madame Tussauds artists and 250 different measurements to complete, along with exact colour matches for his eyes, skin tone and hair. This intricate process took many months, with the insertion of each hair taking six weeks alone.
“Australia is a sporting nation and has produced some of the biggest sporting heroes the world has ever seen so we are extremely proud to be able to welcome another Aussie legend to Madame Tussauds Sydney. The Glenn McGrath wax figure was chosen by the Australian public and will no-doubt be a highlight in the attraction for many years to come, especially during the up and coming Ashes,” commented Quinn Clarke, General Manager, Madame Tussauds Sydney.
At the height of his career, Glenn was one of the most dangerous fast bowlers of his time and currently holds the world record for the highest number of Test wickets by a fast bowler. The public can now come down and put their cricket skills to the test in the interactive Sports Zone and get up-close to some of their favourite sports stars.
