WORCESTERSHIRE coach Tom Moody is confident fellow Australian Andy Bichel can successfully fill Glenn McGrath's shoes as the County look to bounce back from a disastrous second half to last season.

Moody, who spent eight seasons as the overseas player at New Road, has to try and pick up the pieces after Worcestershire went off the rails in spectacular fashion.

They slipped out of the race in the battle to gain promotion in the County Championship and were relegated from Division One of the National League after leading the table by eight points in mid-campaign.

But Moody has no doubt Bichel, fresh from helping Queensland to lift the Sheffield Shield, can be just as effective as McGrath and is ideally suited to English conditions.

He is also looking for the 30-year-old paceman to bring some much needed strength to the lower order batting.

Moody said: "I am confident that he will do very well this summer.

"He is much of a muchness in terms of pace with Glenn but he is a wicket-taking bowler and he can also swing the ball so on that basis the conditions should suit him at Worcester. He is also no mug with the bat and has got a first-class hundred."