Rajasthan Royals. Warne was first approached by Tony Greig for the now-defunct ICL. Indian Cricket League, a privately run T20 tournament. Having just retired, Warne did not feel like playing again except to honour the Hampshire contract. Greig was relentless and wanted Warne as the marquee player. A few days later, Stephen Fleming told him that he had a discussion with Lalit Modi who was about to start IPL and was keen on getting Warne onboard as the marquee player. A few days later, Ravi Krishnan who owned the commercial side of IMG in India, told Warne that the Jaipur franchise recruited Ravi as the vice chairman and that he had recommended Warne as the captain and coach for their team to the franchise owner Manoj Badale. Shane Warne and franchise cricket.
Manoj called Warne to understand his view of running a cricket team. He was impressed but Warne was unsure of playing even after the IPL was formally announced by the BCCI. Ravi again called him and told him that this was the chance that he shouldn’t miss because he was the best captain Australia never had. This intrigued Warne who readily agreed. His was the first name in the auction and Rajasthan Royals picked him rightaway.
All the marquee players were taken around the country before the start of the tournament. Mohammed Kaif was the biggest Indian name in the Royals’s teamsheet. He had an ego issue. One day at the hotel reception, he kept saying I am Kaif to the receptionist expecting them to treat him as a special player because he played for India. Warne would have none of it and laid down ground rules for all of the players.
Selecting the players
Warne had Monty, Zubin, Jeremy Snape for his support. Warne the unenviable task of pruning the selected 50 to a team squad of 16. Everyone was given a chance and after a lot of deliberations between himself, Chuck, Kaif and Munaf came down to 16 members. The Indians who were selected were all young and some of them cried when their names were announced. At one point, the owner, Manoj tried to push someone who wasn’t selected but Warne resisted and told him if the discarded player, Asif, must be in the squad, he would have to take Warne’s place. Manoj relented.
Warne set about thinking of T20 cricket as 120 separate contests. One per ball. The club also introduced the 3-second chill, a method which helps the bowlers and the batsmen to just calm down, look around the field and then bowl because the pressure is intense. Warne then goes onto describe his Rajasthan Royals team members. Watson was given confidence by telling him that he does not have anything to prove to anyone. The result, Watson was the player of the tournament in the inaugural edition. Munaf Patel was the leader of the attack.
Warne writes about his gift of understanding a player. He told the coaches that he would open with Yusuf Pathan against Adam Gilchrist because he was a nervous starter against spin but they said that Gilchrist would smash him. Hence, he opened with Munaf and Watson but Gilchrist smashed them anyway. 3rd over he brought in Yusuf and Gilchrist was gone. Warne set off doing the same thing that he did with Hampshire, to RR. He toughened them and made them an object to hate. Other teams must want to defeat RR badly.
Strategy for the games, BBL and the owner
Warne was called for disciplinary hearing meetings quite a few times which meant that he had to meet the IPL chairman Lalit Modi which was nothing but some informal drinking session. The strategy for every game was to pick up wickets in the powerplay. The more the wickets, the less likely the opponents are to post a substantial score. Then, Warne goes on about the finals and how the RR won with him at the wicket when the final run was scored. About Manoj Badale, Warne writes that he was of the same age as Warne. Warne felt that getting to know him was one of the best aspects of the whole IPL journey. Warne is all praise for Manoj going as far as saying that he helped Warne in alternate ways of thinking.
BBL came calling
4 years of playing for RR, Warne had enough and he retired from all forms of the game. Engaged with Hurley, Warne lived in London alongwith this fiancee when he got a call from Eddie McGuire. CA was about to start the BBL and he wanted Warne to captain Melbourne Stars. Warne was 42 and hadn’t bowled a ball in 6 months but he was fit. Eddie asked him to play atleast the first game so that thousands can come and watch him. However, his fiancee convinced him to play the entire season. Viv Richards was also roped in as the batting consultant.
One added technology that intrigued Warne was that he was supposed to talk to the viewers through the microphone that he was wearing. What would he bowl? Where would he bowl? his thinking etc. There is the famous delivery, one could still find it on YouTube, where Warne talks about how he will dismiss Brendan McCullum. It worked perfectly. In the end, Warne played a couple of seasons in the BBL and with that, he had enough of the game at 44 years.
Warne autobiography
https://icricketcritique.com/shane-warne-and-his-family/
https://icricketcritique.com/shane-warne-and-his-childhood/
https://icricketcritique.com/shane-warne-and-terry-jenner/
https://icricketcritique.com/shane-warne-and-fixing-allegations/
https://icricketcritique.com/warne-and-the-art-of-spin/
https://icricketcritique.com/warne-surgery-and-pay-dispute/
https://icricketcritique.com/warne-and-wisden-and-the-diuretic/
https://icricketcritique.com/warne-and-county-cricket/