McGrath well on course for Ashes

Sydney: Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath believes he is ahead of schedule in terms of returning to full fitness to play in the Ashes series later this year.

The 36-year-old, who has not played for his country since January because of his wife Jane's ongoing health problems, underwent a successful practice sessions in Brisbane last week.

"It will take a little while to build it up but I'm probably in front of where I thought I would be," McGrath told Sydney Radio on Tuesday.

"It felt great. To have six months off and to go up there and feel that good, it doesn't take long to feel like you haven't had a break," he added.

"It just feels like another day at the office, the body feels good, just running in to bowl, so that was very good to get into the outdoor nets."

McGrath, third on Test cricket's all-time list with 542 wickets, said he would not be targeting any England batsman in particular.

"There's a few new guys that are coming who are doing well," McGrath said. "There's the young fellow (Alastair) Cook who's done well so far. He's one of many."

McGrath said he still had an open mind about when to aim to return to the Australia side, with the ICC Champions Trophy in India in October his current preference.

"I guess the selectors are meeting later this week and I will have a chat to them before that," he said.

"There's that pre-ICC tour coming up to KL (Kuala Lumpur), which is out of season - there's nothing in Australia - so that might be a good hit-out to see how things are going.

"My preference would probably be to go to India, it's a good place to really build it up." The first Test against England starts in Brisbane on November 23.

He also named England's stand-in captain Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook as his likely bunnies for the upcoming Ashes series.

In last year's Ashes, McGrath's target was England's full-time skipper Michael Vaughan, who has fallen to him six times in seven Tests.

But with Vaughan likely to miss the most, if not all, of the Ashes after knee surgery, the New South Wales paceman is looking for new victims.