New Delhi. At the beginning of the last decade of the last century, when the fear of fast bowlers was at its peak and the art of spin was dying, Australia, producing fast bowlers like Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee, gave the world a leg-spinner like Shane Warne. Warne reinvented the art of spin and influenced his leg spin first, then established himself and then slowly he managed to make his mark as the best spinner in the world.
Warne, who suddenly surprised the biggest batsmen with his spin on the cricket field, once again surprised everyone on Friday. When the entire cricketing world was celebrating Virat Kohli’s 100th Test and Australia was mourning the death of their legendary wicketkeeper, Rod Marsh, then suddenly the news of Warne saying goodbye to the world shocked everyone. Shane Keith Warne died at the age of 52 of a heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Controversies were also related: Warne was equally involved in controversies as much as he had spin. He was also banned for match-fixing and there were also allegations of taking drugs. He was also infamous for his bad behavior and quarrels with the captains. He was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol. Many times he was seen smoking a cigarette on the field as well. He was also seen many times drinking alcohol openly. In 1998, Mark Waugh and he had to pay a fine to Cricket Australia for taking money in exchange for providing information about the pitch and weather conditions to a bookie. He was found guilty of consuming banned diuretics before the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. However, he said that his mother had given him that medicine to lose weight. He was against coaching in cricket and believed that there should be managers in cricket.
Sachin scares by coming in dreams: Sachin Tendulkar faced Warne many times in 1998 and on most occasions Tendulkar’s bat spoke fiercely. At that time, Warne had taken Tendulkar lightly and questioned his batting. Tendulkar thrashed Warne’s balls so much that Warne was forced to say that Tendulkar used to scare him in his dreams.
Personal life was also in discussion: Shane Warne was in a lot of headlines in his personal life too. Warne married Simone Callahan in 1995 and they have three children together. The two lived with each other for 10 years, but Warne ended their 11-year marriage in 2006. There was also a lot of discussion about his relationship with British actress Liz Hurley. After his divorce from Callahan, Warne grew closer to Liz Hurley, and the two were together for about three years from 2010 to 2013 and then separated. Even after their separation, the two were often seen together. Warne’s name is also associated with Australian model and DJ Emily Scott. The two met for the first time in 2006 and were in a relationship for some time after that. However, Shane announced her separation in 2013. There have also been several reports about Warne’s relationship with Hollywood actress Margo Rabie, but the two never openly talked about it.
Best ball of the century: No cricket lover can forget the day of June 4, 1993, when he bowled England’s Mike Gatting on the leg break. The ball had turned 180 degrees. The world was stunned to see this ball of Warne in the Ashes series match between England and Australia. His ball was later declared the best ball of the century.
Spin trio formed with Murali-Kumble: In the era of Warne, two more spinners gave new heights to spin art. These included Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and India’s leg-spinner Anil Kumble. The trio of Warne, Murali and Kumble recreated the magic of spin. This spin trio has always been a matter of debate as to who is the best spinner among them. However, all these three spinners were no less than an institution in themselves and there was a time when these three spinners were named in the list of the three highest Test wicket-takers in the world.
Tribute to Marsh: Incidentally, Australian cricket lost two legends on Friday. Veteran wicketkeeper Rad Marsh died in the morning and Warne was no more late in the evening. Condoling his death in the morning, Warne wrote, ‘Saddened by the news of the passing of Rad Marsh. He was a legend of our great sport and an inspiration to many young players. He gave a lot to cricket, especially to Australian and England cricket. love to his family. May God rest your soul in peace friend.
Name: Shane Keith Warne
Born: 13 September 1969, Victoria (Australia)
Role: Right arm leg spinner
Died: 4 March 2022, Koh Samui (Thailand)
International career record of Shane Warne
format, matches, wickets, average, best, 5 wickets, 10 wickets
Test, 145, 708, 25.41, 8/71, 37, 10
ODI, 194, 293, 25.73, 5/33, 1, 0
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