Shane Warne

1969-

Australian cricket player

One of the greatest leg-break bowlers in the history of cricket, Australian Shane Warne almost singlehandedly revived the audacious style of leg spinning, combining devastating deliveries with pinpoint control. A favorite to break the world record for wicket-taking in Tests, the outspoken and controversial Warne was selected as one of the five top cricket players of the twentieth century.

Revives Leg Spinning

From his earliest days in cricket, Warne had a reputation as a carouser. He attended Australia's prestigious Cricket Academy but was expelled for "indiscipline." Reportedly Warne spent too much time drinking and partying.

Warne made his Test debut for Australia versus India on January 2, 1992. Immediately he began a national sensation. He revived the nearly dying bowler's craft of leg-spinning, and eventually some experts claimed he was the best leg-break bowler ever. Leg spinning requires incredible control, and Warne combined it with wrist spinning—bowling out of the back of the hand with a cocked wrist. His style was one of the most difficult to master. Most wrist spinnners have to sacrifice control to get their bowls to break, but Warne combined exceptional control with pronounced and devastating spins. He could fire the ball at the batsmen's legs and still get it to curl back and hit a stump.

Warne also mastered the difficult "flipper," a delivery which starts with a long, lazy hop before diving fast and low past the batter. He also could bowl a "googly," a ball delivered to look like a leg break but which turns the other direction at the last moment. Varying his pace and

flight, Warne was a master of deception and a sensational bowler who delighted crowds by making opposing batsmen look foolish. He was also a competent right-handed batsman who could hit the ball hard, and he often pinch-hit during one-day games.

"Hollywood"

Warne represented a new generation of bowler, even though his style harkened back to the classic days of the sport. He invaded the conservative sport with his posterboy looks, dyed blonde hair, and an ear stud. Warne often wore zinc-colored face paint to protect his cheeks from the sun. Lots of young Australian boys imitated his look and tried to mimic his unorthodox bowling style. Warne remained a sex symbol in Australia even as his paunchy stomach grew bigger and even after he and his wife, Simone, had three children, Brooke, Jackson, and Summer. Something of a showoff, Warne was a larger-than-life presence on the pitch and was nicknamed "Hollywood." Fans either loved or hated him, and he became one of the game's most popular draws.

He also rewrote the cricket record book. In 1992 Warne became Australia's top wicket taker and remained so for many seasons. In 1998 he underwent shoulder surgery. But the following year he led Australia to victory in the World Cup. He was named Man of the Match twice in the World Cup, in the semifinal against Australia and in the final against Pakistan.

In 2000 Warne was named one of Wisden's five top cricketers of the twentieth century. That year, he became the highest wicket taker in Australian cricket history, surpassing Dennis Lillee's 355 wickets, and he went over 400 in 2001. By the end of 2002, he was closing in on Courtney Walsh's world record of 519 wickets in Tests.

Warne's career was blemished by revelations about his association with bookies. In 1994 the Pakistans allegedly tried to bribe him to bowl badly in a crucial test. In 1998 he and fellow Australian Mark Waugh were fined after admitting they gave a bookkeeper in India critical information about the weather and the pitch in exchange for money in Sri Lanka in 1994.

Nothing to Prove

As one of the most marketable players in cricket, Warne earned extra money with endorsement deals. During the 2000 season, he wrote an exclusive cricket column for the Times of London. In 2001 Warne signed a promotional contract with British Channel 5 to paint his face with that network's logo to promote the soap opera series Home and Away. That same year, he signed an endorsement contract to plug cricket boots for British sporting goods manufacturer Mitre, ending a seven-year deal with Nike.

In December 2002, with 488 wickets recorded in his career in Tests, Warne discloated his shoulder in a match against England in Melbourne. A month later, he pronounced himself ready for the 2003 World Cup. "I don't think I have to prove anything to anybody about what I can do on the field on the big occasion," Warne explained to CricInfo News.

Chronology

Awards and Accomplishments

In January 2003, Warne announced he was retiring from one-day cricket after the World Cup to concentrate exclusively on Tests. With 288 wickets in one-day internationals, he ranked six in such contests. "I love playing cricket for Australia," he told CricInfo News, "but the No. 1 priority for me is to play Test cricket for as long as I can… This could prolong my Test career by five or six years, who knows?"

FURTHER INFORMATION

Periodicals

"Australian Stars Admit Giving Tips." New York Times, (December 10, 1998): D7.

"The Belly of the Beast." Sports Illustrated, 88 (April 6, 1998): 30.

Hall, Emma. "Shane Warne Fronts Times Push." Campaign, (June 16, 2000): 4.

"In Brief." Sports Marketing, (June 2001): 2.

"No Spin Required." Sports Marketing, (August 2001): 2.

"Warne Meets Lara." The Economist, 334 (March 4, 1995): 88.

Other

Buckle, Greg. "I am Almost Back to My Best, Warne says." CricInfo News. http://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2003/JAN/127379_REUTERS_26JAN2003.html (February 2, 2003).

Hoult, Nick. "Warne Calls Time on His One-Day Life." CricInfo News. http://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2003/JAN/125954_ET_23JAN2003.html (February 2, 2003).

McConnell, Lynn. "Warne Closing in on 500 … and Beyond." CricInfo News. http://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2002/OCT/072592_NZ_08OCT2002.html (February 2, 2003).

"Shane Keith Warne." baggy green. http://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/PLAYERS/AUS/W/WARNE_SK_02002000/ (February 2, 2003).

Warne, Shane Keith (Victoria). thatscricket.com. http://servlet.indiainfo.com/indiainfo/cricket.PlayerProfile?countryId=11&playld=156 (February 2, 2003).

Sketch by Michael Betzold