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Shane Warne is credited with reviving the art of leg break googly bowling and making it fashionable again. He is a charismatic, spectacular performer, who made headlines on and off the field. Here are 45 facts about the cricketer:
- Shane Warne the cricketer, commentator, poker player and Cricket All-Stars Series co founder feels ‘It’s your life. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for living it your way.’
- Warne was born on September 13, 1969 in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria to Keith and Bridgette Warne. He did his schooling at Hampton High School before shifting to Mentone Grammar school on sports scholarship.
- Early in his youth he was good at both cricket and football. He joined St. Kilda Cricket Club and represented it in the lower division before progressing to first eleven.
- In 1987, he played five games for the St. Kilda Football Club’s under-19 team. In 1988 season he was upgrade to the reserve team in verge of playing the professional league.
- He was chosen to train at the Australian Cricket Academy, Adelaide in 1990. He was a leg-spin come off-spin bowler and reliable lower order batsman. He had represented ‘University of Melbourne Cricket Club’ in the U-16 Dowling Shield Competition during 1983-84 season.
- In 1991, he joined ‘Accrington Cricket Club,’ England in the ‘Lancashire League’ for one season before being discarded. He took 73 wickets at 15.4 average and fared poorly with bat, scoring 300 runs at an average of 15
- Warne’s big break came, when he made his first-class cricket debut for Victoria against Western Australia at Junction Oval, Melbourne on February 15, 1991. He took a wicket conceding 102 runs in the match.
- His performance of 7/52 in a four day match during his tour of Zimbabwe with the Australian B team, earned him a place in the Australian A team against touring Indians in December 1991.
- Warne’s performance for Australian A team, against touring Indians earned him an Australian Test Cap. He took 3/14 and 4/42 with his leg-spin bowling.
- Warne made his test debut in January 1992 for Australia in the third test against India at Sydney Cricket Ground. The debut was none too impressive with 1/ 150 of 45 overs.
- His poor form continued during his Sri Lankans tour, before his spell of 3/ 11 in 5.5 overs contributed toward Australian victory. He also scored 35 runs in the second innings.
- He was recalled after missing the first test against touring West Indies for the second test at Melbourne in the 1992-93 series. He achieved best innings bowling analysis in the test match, when took 7 for 52 for a match winning performances.
- Warne’s first Ashes tour of England is best remembered for the ‘Ball of the Century.’ Bowling his first ball of the series on the second day of the first test on June 04, 1993. He pitched it outside leg stump, to turn and clip the off stump bail of Mike Gatting.
- His tally of 71 test wicket in the 1993 calendar year is the record for a spin bowler. He was declared man of the series with 18 wickets, during New Zealand tour of Australia in 1993.
- Warne took 10 wickets in a match for the first time, when he had 7/ 56 and 5/72 in the second test at Sydney Cricket Ground against South Africa during 1993-94 series. The test is best remembered for dramatic collapse by the Australian to lose by five runs.
- Warne started the 1994-95 Ashes Series down under with his career best bowling figure of 8/71 in the second inning of first test at Gabba.
- In the second test of 94-95 series at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Warne took his first and only test hat-trick, when he dismissed Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm of successive ball.
- Warne the 94-95 Ashes Series his own, when he in the company of tail-ender Tim May survived the final 19 overs on the fifth day in fading light to secure a draw, thus ensuring the Ashes Series. He went on to take 27 wickets in the series.
- Warne in the company of McGrath, Reiffel and Waughs helped Australia to win a series in West Indies in 20 years. He took 15 wickets in the 1994-95 series.
- In the 1995-96 series against Pakistan in Australia, he was named the player of the series with 19 wickets playing in only two out of the three tests series. He took 11 in the first and 8 wickets in the third and last test.
- In the 1996 World Cup played in the Indian Subcontinent, Warne was the key member of Australian team. He took 4/36 in a low scoring match against West Indies in the second semi-final to take Australia to the finals.
- In the summer of 1996-97, he took 57 wickets to help Australia win series against West Indies, South Africa and England.
- In the second test against South Africa in Sydney Cricket Ground on January 1998, he took his 300th wicket when had J.H Kallis bowled for 45. He had a match haul of 11/109. Australia won the match by an innings and 21 runs.
- He is the second Australian to surpass 300 wickets after Dennis Lillee. The Australian media hailed him as the most influential cricketer after Don Bradman and Dennis Lillee.
- He was the member of Australian team which toured India in 1998. He had spaghetti and baked beans flown from Australia for he found Indian food not to his liking.
- Warne had Rahul Dravid bowled for 23 in the first inning of third test of 97-98 series played at Bangalore. With Dravid’s wicket he went past Lance Gibbs tally of 309 wickets, making him the most successful spin bowler in the world.
- He missed the Australian tour of Pakistan and first four Ashes test due a shoulder injury. He underwent shoulder surgery after the test series against India.
- Warne was in centre of John the Bookmaker controversy. He was accused along with Mark Waugh of accepting money for divulging information about team selection and pitch report.
- After the elevation of Steve Waugh to captaincy for the 1999-2000 season, Warne was made the vice captain for the tour of West Indies. However he lost his place to Colin Miller for the final test due to loss of form. Australia won the test and retained Frank Worrell Trophy.
- Warne was suspended for two matches and was also fined for making a statement against Sri Lankan captain, Arjuna Ranatunga just before 1999 World Cup. He said ‘There is plenty of animosity between Arjuna and myself. I don’t like him and I’m not in a club of one.’
- He took four important wickets in the semifinal of 1999 World Cup against South Africa to help his team to enter the finals. He took the wickets of Gibbs, Kirsten, Cronje and Kallis conceding 29 runs. Warne was man of the match in finals taking 4/33 against Pakistan and Australia won the World Cup.
- He was again involved in another controversy dubbed ‘Joe the Cameraman’ during the Brisbane test against Pakistan in 1999 series. He was accused of passing comments ‘can’t bowl, can’t throw’ about Scott Muller, which was picked-up by on field microphone.
- In 2000 during English summer playing for Hampshire county side, he was reported to have sent lewd SMS messages to English nurse. He was removed from Australian vice captaincy.
- In the Ashes series of 2001 he took 31 wickets, including three five wicket hauls. In the final test at Kennington Oval, London, Warne bowled A.J.Stewart for 34 to claim his 400th test wickets. He is first Australian to reach the milestone.
- In the third test at Perth of 2001-02 series against New Zealand, he scored 99 runs before being caught at mid-wicket of the bowling of Daniel Vettori, to record his highest score in the test.
- In 2002 playing against Pakistan in three test series, he named player of the series with 27 wickets. He was also the man of the match in the first and third test.
- Warne was sent home from 2003 World Cup, for failing a drug test carried out during a one-day series in Australia. He was tested positive for use of banned diuretic. One year ban from organized cricket was imposed on him.
- On October 15, 2004 in the second test played at Chennai, he overtook Muttiah Muralitharan’s tally of 533 wickets when had Irfan Pathan caught by Mathew Hayden at slips.
- On August 11, 2005 in the third test at Old Trafford, he became the first bowler to take 600 wickets. He took 40 wickets and scored 249 runs in the series, to share man of the series honors with Andrew Flintoff.
- On December 21, 2006, Warne announced his retirement at the end of fifth test match of Ashes series at S.C.G. He also had the distinction of being the first cricketer to reach 700 test wickets, when had Andrew Strauss bowled in the fourth test at Melbourne. He reached another milestone of 1000th international wickets during the series.
- He was signed as captain of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League for $450,000. He led them to victory in the inaugural season.
- In 2013 during a Big Bash League match, he was fined $4500 and banned for a match for using obscene language, inappropriate physical contact and for series dissent at an umpire decision.
- On June 25, 2005 he announced his separation from his wife Simone Callahan. He has three children Brooke, Summer and Jackson from his marriage.
- Warne’s final tally of 708 test wickets is the most by an Australian and over 3000 test runs without a century is a record in itself.
- In 2000 he was selected by panel of cricket experts as one of the five ‘Wisden Cricketers of the Century.’
