25 Interesting facts about Shane Warne - The Maverick leg spinner

25 Interesting facts about Shane Warne – The Maverick leg spinner: Shane Warne added substance, style, glamour and what not to the art of leg spin bowling. He is admired by Australians and cricket fans alike for his unsurpassed skill. Only a true champion can inspire 100,000 spectators to chant his name from the stands and Warnie was one. When he made his Test debut in 1992 against India, one wouldn’t have presumed the tremendous potential the leg spinner possessed. A charismatic, spectacular performer who made as many headlines on the field and off it, he finished second-best to Muttiah Muralitharan in the Test wickets tables, but for many he remains the greatest spinner.

On his 46th birthday we look at 25 Interesting facts about Shane Warne – The Maverick leg spinner:

1. The first introduction to serious cricket:

The first One Day game Warne ever attended was one of Kerry Packer’s World Series Cup matches at VFL Park. The first Test was the 1982 Melbourne affair which Australia lost to England by 3 runs.

2. Not a great debut:

When he debuted for Australia, against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in February, 1992, Ravi Shastri and a young bloke named Tendulkar showed him that Test cricket wasn’t child’s play. His figures were far from impressive as he picked up just a solitary wicket at the expense of 150 runs.

3. 1993 a great year:

Courtsey the successful tours of New Zealand and England he took 71 wickets in 1993, then a record for a spin bowler in a calendar year.

4. 1996 World Cup:

He collected 12 wickets in the 1996 World Cup, including a match winning 4-36 in the semi-final against West Indies. Australia though went on to loose the finals to Sri Lanka.

5. 1999 World Cup:

Warne finished the 1999 World cup as the highest wicket taker as Australia lifted the trophy for the second time.

6. The first of many:

Controversies and Shane Warne were simply inseparable. When Warne was playing for Hampshire in 2000, reports emerged that he had sent lewd text messages to an English nurse.

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7. In the honour:

In 2007, Cricket Australia and Sri Lanka Cricket decided to name the Australia- Sri Lanka Test cricket series, as the “Warne-Muralidaran Trophy” in honour of Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralidaran.

8. Obesity!:

When he played his first Test match, against India at Sydney, Warne weighed as heavy as 97 kilos.

9. Fortune teller:

Before India’s match against England in the 2011 World Cup, Warne tweeted – “My prediction, a tie.” And to everybody’s surprise, he got it right. Next day, the Australian channel Fox Sport’s headline ran, Genius or Match-fixer?

10. Going past his hero:

On New Zealand tour in 2000 he became Australia’s highest ever wicket taker in Tests, eclipsing his hero, Dennis Lillee’s benchmark of 355.

11. Nicknames

His nicknames are “Warnie”, “Hollywood” or “Baron of Baked Beans”, depending upon the occasion.

12. A dark spot:

In 1998 Warne faced controversy when it was revealed that he and fellow Australian cricketer Mark Waugh had taken bribes from an Indian bookmaker four years earlier. The pair claimed they gave only pitch information and weather forecasts. The two were secretly fined by the Australian Cricket Board soon after the incident came to light.

13. Just before the 2003 World Cup:

In February 2003 Warne encountered further controversy when he was sent home from the World Cup in South Africa after a drug test revealed the presence of a banned diuretic; he subsequently received a 12-month ban.

14. The comeback:

He made a comeback to international cricket in February 2004 and how. In an engaging spin battle with Muralitharan, at home Warne took 26 wickets in 3 matches, against the Lankan’s including 5-fers in each innings of the first and second Tests.

15. A memorable series:

In the 2005 Ashes, Warne ended with 40 wickets at 19.92 apiece,  and scored 249 runs at 27.66. It was perhaps the best of all his Ashes campaigns.

16. Wisden Cricketer of the Year:

He was named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2004 in 2005 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

17. Ball of the century:

Warne’s first ball in Ashes cricket, later referred as ball of the century was a giant leg-break – which drifted away to leg and then ripped back to crash into Mike Gatting’s off-bail. From that day it is a part of the cricketing folklore. Richie Benaud, who was doing the television commentary, during the match said: ‘Gatting has absolutely no idea what has happened to him and he still doesn’t know.’

18. Another controversy:

In early 2013, Warne was fined $4500 and banned for a match for using obscene language, making inappropriate physical contact with Marlon Samuels and showing serious dissent at an umpire’s decision during a Big Bash League match.

19. From his book:

One of the famous quotes of Warne was: “Part of the art of bowling spin is to make the batsman think something special is happening when it is not.” His mystery deliveries, always discovered before Ashes series, were often figments of his imagination which preyed on the batsmen’s minds.

20. Not great against India:

Warne had one Achilles Heel, and that was Sachin Tendulkar, for whom he once famously claimed that he had nightmares of Tendulkar dancing down the wicket and hitting him for six. His average against India was 47, not impressive by any standards.

21. Handy in every department:

Warne was a handy batsman lower down the order. He holds the record for most Test runs scored without making a century. He was also a fine slip fielder to boot, pouching 125 catches.

22. Retirement:

Warne’s international retirement came in 2007, after Australia reclaimed the Ashes series of 2006-07, which was his ultimate goal. He ended his Test career with 708 wickets.

23.The IPL title:

Warne’s most notable T20 achievement was leading Rajasthan Royals to the title in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. His aggressive captaincy and impeccable man management skills were striking, so much so that experts reckoned Warne was Australia’s greatest captain that never was.

24. Post retirement ventures:

After retirement from all forms of competitive cricket, Warne made a seamless transition into the commentary box. He is widely regarded for his honest, perceptive and fearless views. His books, ‘Shane Warne: My Own Story’ and ‘Warne: The Official Illustrated Career’, were both highly successful ventures.

25. Life outside Cricket:

Since retirement, Warne has been working for the Shane Warne Foundation which assists seriously ill and underprivileged children.