Wisden picked the 5 cricketers who had made a difference in the game in the 20th century. It was Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Viv Richards and Shane Warne. Wisden asked 100 former players and experts, writers, commentators from all over the world to vote. This was how the 5 were arrived at. This led Warne to think as to who would make it in his top 5. He thought and arrived at Bradman, Sobers, Lillee, Richards and Akram. The Wisden criteria was the match-winning ability and broad appeal. One columnist wrote that Warne brought leg-spin back after it seemed to have died and someone else wrote Warne brought new audiences to the game not just because of his bowling but also because of his general appeal.
Then, Warne goes onto write some good lines about the other 4 in the Wisden list. There is not much to make a note of because everything is already known. Tendulkar and Lara according to Warne were his greatest nemesis but he also mentions Akram. Special praise is reserved for Jacques Kallis who was a brilliant cricketer. Excellent batsman, an effective bowler and an incredible fielder. He was on par with Garry Sobers. It really is a shame that Kallis did not get a single vote despite the presence of several South Africans on the panel.
Difficulties that he faced
The turn of the 21st century, proved to be difficult for Warne. He was sacked from vice captaincy as a result of his off-field shenanigans, first the text messages with some ladies in the UK, then he fought with a few youngsters in New Zealand who caught him smoking. At that time, Warne had a contract with a sponsor about not smoking. When Adam Gilchrist, took over from the Warne he had played just for a year at that point. Warne’s equation with Gilchrist wasn’t that conducive.
Firstly, when Gilchrist asked Warne to come over to his room and approach him for any advise and the next time, when Gilchrist named Warne’s mother for having given him a tablet that wasn’t prescribed in the anti-doping drugs before the 2003 WC. Next, the finger was damaged during the Sheffield Shield game. The recovery was quick, within 6 weeks.
The scene now shifts to the infamous 2001 series. He praises Ganguly for his abrasive nature during the series. Ganguly did give the impression that Australia were in for a fight. At Kolkatta, having bossed the game, Warne feels that Waugh was cocky and impatient. The run of 16 consecutive wins seems to have made him complacent. Warne was of the view that they must bat again having gained a lead of 274. The rest as the saying goes, is history. John Buchanan blamed Warne and told the press that he was unfit for international cricket. It made Warne furious and he walked upto the captain and told him that Buchanan must never speak to him. Warne returned in 2004 to set a record straight which he almost managed to do with 14 wickets in 3 Tests.
Dislocated shoulder and the diuretic
Warne injured his shoulder during play while trying to stop Craig White’s drive. Having wrapped up the Ashes inside 11 days, Warne was looking forward to the 2003 World Cup when this happened. Errol Alcott and his doctor Grey Hoy were however optimistic that he would play. Post the surgery, he was in rehabilitation. It was 24/7 work with the aim to create mobility and strength in the shoulder. Warne had doubts whether he would still be the same bowler. After 19 days, he started to bowl and was also on the plane to South Africa for the World Cup. In the nets, his flipper suffered and the wrong-un too. He took some tablets to ease the pain a little bit and perhaps that was where he made a big blunder. The pill that had Warne banned.
He got a call from ASADA who told him that he had tested positive for a banned drug. If the sample B also tested positive, he will have to face an enquiry. The physio, Hooter searched Warne’s room based on ASADA’s direction for any banned substance but could not find any. Apparently, Warne’s mother had given him a tablet which would help in releasing excess water. Unfortunately for Warne, it was among the banned substances. Sample B too came out positive and Warne was sent home from South Africa facing a disciplinary hearing which was chaired by Justice Glenn Williams.
ASADA’s lawyer grilled Warne’s mother relentlessly. She was overwrought. It seems the intention was to make an example out of an high-profile player. Warne’s historical medical records showed that he never took any drug which came to his defence. It was later found that the diuretic called Moduretic does not help in improving performance and since then, it has been taken off the banned list. Back in the day, he was banned for 12 months. During the ban period, he wasn’t allowed to train anywhere because the Australian government would cut off the funds for Cricket Australia. Hence, he chose to become extremely fit.
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