Could Warnie come back to Tests?

Almost five years after playing his last Test for Australia, Shane Warne has not ruled out a comeback, saying he would make himself available for the upcoming back-to-back Ashes series – if the right man picked up the phone.

Warne said if Michael Clarke called on him, he’d be on the plane, ready to face England for the first Test at Trent Bridge next July.

“If your best friend says, ‘Mate, I want you to seriously consider making a commitment to Australian cricket and coming back out of retirement’, (to) make myself available for selection, that’s a different scenario,” Warne told News Limited.

“Especially with back-to-back Ashes coming up next year, it could be a 12-month thing where you take three spinners with you and say, ‘Righto, work with these spinners and see how you go for 12 months.’ That’s a different kettle of fish.

“I’m definitely not asking for Michael Clarke to come out and say that – that’s a different scenario.”

Since retiring in 2007, Warne has continued playing cricket in various Twenty20 tournaments around the world, and will once again lead the Melbourne Stars in this summer’s Big Bash League.

As such, Warne believes returning to the Test side would simply be a question of his own commitment, rather than ability.

“From a purely bowling perspective, I don’t think my form would be the concern, it’s just the time and actually making that commitment again.

“My kids are turning 16, 14 and 12 next year and we’re juggling two continents, [fiancée] Elizabeth’s [Hurley] work and my work commitments.

“There’s travel, sponsors, businesses, there are charities, so much stuff that I’d basically have to put it all on hold to make a commitment to international cricket.”

But were Warne to put all his other endeavours on hold, would he be welcomed back in to the side?

Following a draw and a loss in the first two Tests of the 2010/11 Ashes series, calls for Warne’s return intensified from Australian cricket fans.

Australian cricket players, however, weren’t as keen.

“Shane Warne is one of the greatest bowlers of all time. That’s backed by his 708 Test wickets, with only Muthiah Muralidaran ahead of him with 800,” Mike Hussey said in response to calls for Warne’s return.

“But calls for him to return to the Australian team are nonsensical.

“I’m sure Warnie could still bedazzle the best batsmen in the world at his best, but it’s been nearly four years since he played at Test level. No one, not even the great Warnie, can expect to waltz into a Test match, particularly the heat of an Ashes battle, and last the five days.”

On that occasion, Warne padded away talk of a comeback but stopped short of ruling one out altogether, saying “All I can say is that it is very flattering to hear those words.”

This time around, however, he has been far more forthcoming in his response to talk of a comeback.

But with two more years having passed, Warne is now 43-years-old and by the end of the back-to-back Ashes, he would be just a few months shy of 45.

And fresh off three consecutive Tests where Ricky Ponting’s positively youthful in comparison 37 years proved too many to keep up with the intensity and pace of the modern game, would the National Selection Panel give a start to a man who was visiting Advanced Hair Studios quite a few years before Punter?

To be fair, Warne stated he didn’t expect to walk in to the side and that, if he decided to commit to the comeback, he would be happy to prove himself once again worthy of the baggy green by going through the appropriate channels.

“For me it’s not a matter of whether I could do it or not – I have absolutely no doubt if I wanted to commit to try to make a comeback and go through grade cricket, first-class cricket and try to get selected… that I could do it.”

If Warne follows through on that statement, takes a swag of wickets in Sheffield Shield cricket over the next few months for Victoria and proves the years haven’t depleted his previously unmatched talents, the English will surely be quaking in their spikes at having to once again face the greatest wicket-taker in Ashes history.

As to whether Warne is able to deliver – on either that amount of time away from the poker tables or with the same dazzling ability with the red ball – all we can do is wait and see.

And maybe, for the true believers, say a prayer or two.

Joe is the editor of Disaffected Middle Class