AUSTRALIAN cricketing great Glenn McGrath has said he deeply regrets making a hunting trip to Zimbabwe seven years ago.

The former fast bowler took to Twitter to apologise after pictures of him posing with dead animals emerged in the Australian media.

McGrath wrote: "In 2008 I participated in a hunting safari in Zimbabwe that was licensed and legal but in hindsight highly inappropriate.

"It was an extremely difficult time in my life and looking back I deeply regret being involved."

The 45-year-old lost his first wife Jane in 2008 to breast cancer and is heavily involved with fundraising efforts to fight the disease through the McGrath Foundation.

McGrath took 563 wickets in 124 Test matches for Australia between 1993 and 2007.