Shane Warne

[coolkid]

i wish shane warne would keep pushing on.that way his wicket taking record will atually stand for a longer time.but now that hes retired muttiah muralitheran will most likely pass him soon :

[kenz]

well its official

Originally Posted by news.com.au

SHANE Warne today announced what everyone expected, but nobody wanted to hear: his international cricket career is just two Test matches from being over.

The 37-year-old leg-spin bowler ended all speculation and officially called time on his remarkable career as an Australia player, his retirement taking effect in Jaunary, immediately after the Ashes series against England.

Warne, 37, told a packed press conference in Melbourne of his decision, less than a week before the Boxing Day Test begins at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, his home ground.

The world most successful Test bowler, Warne needs just one wicket to become the first man to take 700 Test wickets.

He took his 699th to end England's meek Ashes resistance in Perth on Monday, clean bowling Monty Panesar just after lunch on the fifth day to wrap up the third Test and secure the Ashes for Australia by way of an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

In a dream twist of fate, Warne is now expected to claim his 700th at the MCG, his home ground as a Victoria cricketer for his entire first-class career Down Under.

Warne took his first Test wicket in January 1992 during his Test debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground, when he had India legend Ravi Shastri caught off his bowling by Dean Jones, but not before he'd scored 206 runs.

It was an inauspicious start to what would become an unbelievable career, which today is being compared to Don Bradman's in terms of significance and stature in cricket's history.

Warne finished that Sydney Test with 1-150 before hooking up with bowling coach Terry Jenner, the man who transformed his career and remains his mentor today.

Barely a year after that horror debut, Warne produced the "ball of the century" during his Ashes debut at Old Trafford, spinning his first ball in the iconic contest to England batsman Mike Gatting that pitched outside leg stump before turning past Gatting's outside edge to take off stump.

It remains arguably the most significant wicket he has taken. Gatting was regarded as one of the world's best players of spin bowling, and that wicket cast a spell over England that will only be broken with Warne's retirement.

Even when Australia lost the Ashes for the first time in 18 years in 2005, Warne performed out of his skin, taking an astonishing 40 wickets to be named Australia's man of the series.

[RspecAU]

: and don't let the door hit your *** on the way out and DON'T COME BACK : : : now all we got to put up with is those dam commentators crapping on about him :

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by merlin

I think he will retire - and I also think he was one of the greatest bowlers of all time. What he did off the field was/is absolutley no-ones business but his own.

Agree 100%, anyone who thinks his off field antics have anything to do with him being the greatest match winning bowler in the history of the game, should catch up with the times.
Nearly all high profile personality these days are subject to intense media scruitiny, a thing unheard of 20yrs ago, and so become front page news.

No different to Wayne Carey, a couple of slip ups and he is tarnished for life even though he is arguably the greatest forward of all time.
Gary Ablett, and the list goes on.

I'd rather have Warney on my team than the oppositions anyday!

[nugget378]

Good riddance....

[Focussed]

EDIT: Indians owned the South Africans in the test a few days ago! Bring on the world cup sparkles [/QUOTE]
im from south africa & we own the indians in the 2nd test! :p

[Lumpen Proletariat]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

700 wickets my fat ar$e... How many wickets has he taken since he was banned for doping? That is the figure that should be in the record books.. Any other sportsman is stripped of his achievements once they are found to be cheating...

Unless you're Mutiah Muralitharian then they'll change the law twice just to suit you and then allow you to break it anyway...

[Lumpen Proletariat]

Originally Posted by rodderz

Same with me, I dont care what he did off field, as a cricketer he was handy with the bat but certainly one of, if not the greatest bowler of all time

Greatest Spinner of all time, no doubt and one of the greatest bowlers too. Whether he is as devasting as Curtley Ambrose or as menacing as Lindwall or Miller is a different story but that does not take away from his abilities at all.

...which also leads me too...

Originally Posted by 30487256

Statistically warne is not the greatest bowler. He is one of the greats but not the best.

Statistic can lie. For example, Muralitharin has around 680 test wickets BUT he has 170 against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Warne has 17 against those far inferior teams.

[Lumpen Proletariat]

Originally Posted by Sledgehammer

Greatest bowler ever? Im sorry but I dont class someone who cheats, lies and bets on his profession great.

So Lillee and Marsh you wouldn't class as greats either?

Headingley 1981



Lumpy

[Focussed]

i just heard that there are rumours that langer will anounce his retirement after the scg test. makes for interesting test side next year if he goes too

[16wantsI6]

just think warnies also scored 1000 of the field :P

[Smoked]

Originally Posted by Focussed

i just heard that there are rumours that langer will anounce his retirement after the scg test. makes for interesting test side next year if he goes too

And he did.

[Stugots]

I loved what he did off the field. I always thought he was a great cricketer but after I found out he was a filthy rooter, that was upgraded to No. 1 hero.