Shane Warne is a former Australian cricketer who is widely considered as the game’s greatest leg spinner. He was born on September 13th, 1969. He was born in Upper Ferntree Gully, a Melbourne suburb in the Australian state of Victoria.
Warne was a leg break bowler who bowled with his right arm. He was a Renaissance man who brought new life to the fading bowling form of leg spin and made it an important part of the game.
By general opinion, his ball, which perplexed Mike Gatting in 1993, is known as the greatest bowling delivery ever.
He was the top wicket-taker in Test cricket (708) until December 2007, when he was dethroned by Muttiah Muralitharan, another all-time spin legend.
He has been named Wisden Cricketer of the Year twice in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, as well as Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World twice.
Background
He was gifted from an early age and earned a sports scholarship to attend Mentone Grammar. In the Victoria Cricket Association’s Under-16 Dowling Shield competition, he first played the University of Melbourne Club.
Before turning professional, Warne played Australian football for St. Kilda’s Football Club’s Under-19 side.
Debut
On the 2nd of January 1990, he made his international debut in a test match against India in Sydney. His debut was unremarkable, as he only took one wicket while allowing 150 runs. He was booted off the squad following a series of disappointing results.
After the Australians struggled to take wickets on a turning track, he was recalled. This time, Warne seized the opportunity with both hands, bowling a match-winning 7/52.
Rise to Glory
When Warne was a member of Australia’s B team, he first drew attention. He took 7/49 against Zimbabwe, his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. Following similar good results for Australia’s A side, he was called up to make his international debut.
Despite losing the match by 5 runs, Warne took 12 wickets in the second Test match against South Africa on January 2, 1994, establishing himself as a key cog in the Australian bowling attack.
He took 12 wickets in the 1996 Wills World Cup, including a match-winning effort of 4-36 in the semi-final against West Indies, proving himself to be just as successful in the ODI style. However, Australia was defeated in the final by Sri Lanka.
One of his best performances came against England in Brisbane in 1994, when he took 8/71 as the English chased 508 runs but fell short by 184 runs due to Warne’s heroics.
Low Points
Warne has been a contentious character throughout his career, with rumours of promiscuity surfacing more often than his bowling successes.
Warne missed a drug test a day before the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup, returning positive for a banned diuretic, and was sent home. He was facing a one-year ban from all aspects of professional cricket.
Club Career
Warne has represented Victoria, Hampshire, Rajasthan Royals, and the Melbourne Stars in domestic cricket.
In the inaugural edition of the IPL, Warne signed with the Rajasthan Royals. He was appointed their captain, and he led them to victory.
Captaincy
Between 1998 and 1999, Warne led Australia in one-day internationals. Warne led his side to a win rate of 90.91 percent in the 11 games he captained.
Records
Warne held the record for the most Test wickets (708) until Muralitharan surpassed him in December 2007. After Muralitharan, he was the second person to take 1000 wickets in international cricket.
Warne still holds the record for most runs scored without a century (3154).
Retirement
In 2007, Warne announced his retirement from international cricket, but he continued to play club and county cricket. Following his retirement from first-class cricket in 2008, Warne worked as a sports analyst for Nine Cricket before joining Sky Sports in 2009.