Memories Of Greatest Cricketers - - #8 Shane Warne

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 25th September 2010, 02:45 PM

SHANE WARNE

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Bio-data :

Full name: Shane Keith Warne

Born: September 13, 1969, Ferntree Gully, Victoria

Current age: 41 years 12 days

Major teams: Australia, Hampshire, ICC World XI, Rajasthan Royals, Victoria

Batting style: Right-hand bat

Bowling style: Legbreak googly

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Record:

http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/co...ayer/8166.html

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**Google Adsense** · 25th September 2010 02:45 PM

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 25th September 2010, 03:03 PM

Some high points of his career:

* He was chosen as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 1994.

* In 2000, Warne was named by a 100-member panel of experts as the fourth of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. Warne received 27 votes, behind Sir Donald Bradman (100 votes), Sir Garfield Sobers (90 votes), and Sir Jack Hobbs (30 votes). Sir Viv Richards took the fifth place, with 25 votes. Warne was the only active cricketer to be placed in the top 10.

* Warne is one of the four Australian cricketers to have been named in "Richie Benaud's Greatest XI" in 2004. (Don Bradman, Dennis Lillee and Adam Gilchrist are the others).

* In 2005 he was named as winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality for his performance in the 2005 Ashes.

* In 1993, his first ball in England to bowl Gatting is called "Ball of the Century"

* Was the Man of the Match in 1996 World Cup Semifinal, 1999 World Cup Semifinal and Final.

* First man to take 700 test wickets.

**satissh_r** · 25th September 2010, 03:09 PM

His best wickets

My personal favourites are Strauss and Basit Ali as I watched them both live on TV. The Basit Ali dismissal was more gamesmanship than skill but it still is intriguing to watch

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 25th September 2010, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by satissh_r

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDqn043XhQ8

His best wickets

My personal favourites are Strauss and Basit Ali as I watched them both live on TV. The Basit Ali dismissal was more gamesmanship than skill but it still is intriguing to watch

I was watching the match live on TV. Warne and Healy were discussing and discussing and took almost 5 minutes to bowl that last ball of the day (It was 1 pm and I was hungry

). The commentators were saying that they would've been discussing on what dinner to have that night

but would maintain that they planned the dismissal to perfection

.

By the time Warne eventually got around to bowl that ball, Basit Ali might have thought what the heck is he going to bowl? Ball of the century or what? Basit Ali being a decent player of spin, he got out only because of the theatricality around the ball. He was so nervous that he didn't move his feet at all to cover the ball

.

PS: Sachin bowling Moin Khan with a googly on the last ball of the day is right up there

.

**satissh_r** · 25th September 2010, 03:28 PM

Strauss one here

**satissh_r** · 25th September 2010, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by Puliyan_Biryani

The commentators were saying that they would've been discussing on what dinner to have that night

In fact they really did discuss that according to both Warne and Healy :P

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 25th September 2010, 07:48 PM

http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss270...1005800800.htm

One of my favorite articles on Warne. This came when he was making a comeback after being out of the game for a year in 2003.

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 26th September 2010, 12:46 PM

OK now memories.

After watching the ball of the century in the news, I just brushed it aside as a fluke. The match which made me a fan was the 96 Semifinal.

Chasing a meagre 200 odd for victory, Lara was threatening to take the game away when Steve Waugh produced a peach to get him (IIRC from around the wicket, pitching on off stump and hitting the top of off stump). Even then Chaderpaul and Richardson put on a very strong partnership and WI needed 40 odd from last 10 overs.

McGrath got Chanderpaul to create a small opening. Richardson made the mistake of sending in pinch-hitters ahead of batsman to finish the game off. Enter Warne. He had a killer flipper those days which is almost unplayable for lower order batsman. His flipper to Bishop

. Warne picked up 3 wickets in his 3 overs and Aus could sense victory. Ambrose and Walsh duly obliged to give Aussies the win.

Interesting tidbit: Richardson hit a full-blooded sweep shot which hit the hat of square leg umpire. Instead of getting 4 runs he got only 1 and lost the strike as well. What might have been

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 26th September 2010, 01:07 PM

1999 World Cup. Another semifinal. Another magical performance from Warne.

This time SA were chasing a meagre 213 for a place in the final. Gibbs and Kirsten were off to a good start (40 odd in 10 overs). Aussies had it all to do and Steve Waugh turned to Warne. Some history here: Warne was not in the best of form prior to that. And Warne and Waugh were not in talking terms after Warne had been dropped in favour of MacGill in the just concluded WI test series. There were even talks of Warne announcing retirement.

Warne produced an absolutely magical delivery to dismiss Gibbs. Pitching outside leg, turning square and hitting the top of off stump. Warne shouting "come on come on" is still etched in my mind. He was instilling belief in his sagging teammates that a match is there to be won. Kirsten had a proper brain freeze (no wonder after seeing the Gibbs dismissal) when he attempted to slog/sweep Warne to square leg. The ball dipped and spun, Kirsten missed it completely and was bowled. Cronje (one of the best players of spin in SA team) promoted himself to tackle Warne. Warne got Cronje caught at slip apparently (it was off the boot clearly

).

Kallis had put on a good partnership with Rhodes. SA needed about 40 runs from 6 overs when Warne was brought on as a last throw of the dice. Warne induced a mistake from Kallis with his dip and had him caught at cover. Again Aus could sense victory and with the courtesy of Donald, they snatched it (tie) from the jaws of defeat.

**Puliyan_Biryani** · 26th September 2010, 01:58 PM

Warne is the best captain Australia never had. One particular incident comes to my mind.

Ponting was making a comeback after a 3 match ban for a drinking incident. Warne was captain for the ODI series at that time. In every match, Warne would give Ponting a few overs to bowl even though he was not too renowned for his bowling. When Warne was questioned on the logic behind giving a bowl to Ponting, he said: "I gave him a bowl just to make him feel part of the game. If he is fielding in the boundary, he is going to get heckled for his drinking incident. Instead it is better if he has a bowl and focuses only on the game." Warnie