Glenn McGrath’s second marriage was his late wife’s dying wish

MELBOURNE - Former Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath’s second wedding was his late wife Jane’s dying wish.

In the final days of her battle with cancer, Jane’s dying wish was for her husband Glenn to find a woman to love and to help raise their children.

Jane’s best friend Tracy Bevan has endorsed Glenn’s marriage to Sara Leonardi, saying it’s what she would have wanted.

She said Jane had expressed fears that Glenn would never fall in love again and her young children, James, 9, and Holly, 11, would grow up without a mother’s touch.

“Jane was like my sister and I know ultimately she would have wanted Glenn happy again and making sure the kids are happy again,” the Daily Telegraph quoted Tracy as saying.

“Jane would be happy that he’s happy and smiling again, yes, because to be honest with you, Glenn and I were worried that wouldn’t happen again for a long, long time,” she said.

Following Jane’s death in June 2008, Glenn confided in Tracy that he didn’t think he would ever be able to love another woman again.

Tracy, managing director of the McGrath Foundation, set up in Jane’s honour, said she believed Jane would have been smiling down on Thursday’s nuptials, content in the knowledge that her children would have a loving upbringing.

“I know the kids are happy. I’m godmother to those kids so I make sure I know that they’re happy,” she said.

“After what he (Glenn) has been through, it’s nice to see him smile,” Tracy added.

Only nine people were invited to the marriage ceremony at McGrath’s Cronulla home, including the parents of the bride and groom, and Jane’s brother Jonathan.

In an exclusive interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly, out next week, Sara revealed how she grew close to Glenn and his children.

“All of us have come a long way, taken giant steps and grown together as a family,” she said.

“Some days have been hard, that’s true, but mostly it’s been wonderful.It’s been a huge and exciting year, filled with everything that I could have hoped for and more,” Sara said.

Sara said her engagement ring - a white diamond surrounded by smaller pink, yellow and blue diamonds, set in white gold - is symbolic of her relationship with Glenn.

“It’s like our lives. We’re different people, but we’re also colourful and happy people; it’s about how we fit it all together,” she said. (ANI)