Shane Warne was an international cricketing phenomenon. He would routinely pick up bags of wickets, mesmerise the best batsmen and could turn a Test match on its head in a session.
Perhaps the series that stood out most to me was the epic 2005 Ashes series in England, won 2-1 by the English.
In an ultimately losing team Warne was sensational, bagging 40 wickets and almost single-handedly keeping the Aussies in the series. How much more would Australia have lost by if not for the giant contribution of the leg-spin wizard?
But it is debateable as to whether there is merit in a return to the Test team for Shane Warne and the debate must be centred on the long-term development of the team and investment in the future.
At 43, how much time would Warne have back in the team? And when once again Warney calls stumps on his international career, where would that leave the side? It would have derailed the process of developing emerging spin talent.
The efforts of Nathan Lyon are not to be underestimated. Lyon has proven to be a solid if not spectacular performer and will get better with time.
True he is not picking up bags of wickets, but he troubled the top-ranked Proteas and was rarely churning out loose deliveries.
Nathan Lyon has brought a refreshing level of stability on the spin bowling front after a plethora of spin options were tried after the retirement of Warne.
Lyon should be allowed to build on the momentum he is developing. Band-aid solutions should be avoided, with the view of long-term success in mind.
Tempting as it may be, a ‘back to the future’ approach utilising Shane Warne would in many ways be problematic for the future of spin bowling in the Australian line-up. Australia needs the next Shane Warne, not the one who retired five years ago.
Mr Write
Guest
"learn your kids to throw..." Probably more important that we 'teach' them to master the English language.
Hansie
Guest
Is this "bring back Warnie" campaign aligned with the annual "bring back Deano" campaign from the Victorians? Warne was brilliant, but it's all over now. Let's move on and not get sucked in by Warnie's latest publicity stunt.
polly
Guest
If the big picture has Liz Hurley in it then you've sold me already !! lol Who is that scrawny looking guy who keeps standing next to her !? Seriously, there is no doubt Mr Warne has the talent to induce fear in any cricket team with his wizadry of spin, but are we talking a few overs in the BBL or IPL etc ? or are we talking serious fatigue, work your fingers to the bone, need a massage etc just to get to bed that night effort ? To give him credit it was clarified that IF he was to come back he would go through the ranks & prove himself capable. So fair enough. IF that happens then I will be cheering as loudly as anyone ( except my wife who will be heard on the Moon !) , but until I see SK Warne appear on the scorecard for Victoria at the very least, I will continue to gaze lovingly & longingly at Ms E Hurley & not at the scrawny , tanned bloke who keeps getting in her pictures !
Neuen
Roar Rookie
If you want a good spinner learn your kids to throw with a javelin action. Its classed as bowling by the ICC
sheek
Roar Guru
NEWSFLASH! Timeline - 2049: A spritely Shane Warne, 80, has once again made himself available for selection in the Australian cricket team. Warne has made two returns since first retiring in 2007. On the first occasion he returned to play for Australia in the last-ever test series in 2017, test cricket dying out 140 years after it started :-), now having been engulfed by T20. Then in 2033, Warne expressed a desire to represent Australia in T20. At 64, he felt it would be a breeze, & it was. Incidentally, Warnie is now Sir Shane having been knighted by King William V. He & Dame Elizabeth (Liz) continue to stun the world with their flamboyant lifestyle, as if they have discovered the elixir of youth. Now, Warnie has expressed a desire to be capped in the new form of cricket taking the world by storm - 5M. 5M refers to '5 minutes.' 5 minutes, & it's all over. Warnie reckons he will have no trouble lasting 5 minutes. It seems that in today's lifestyle (2049), folk struggle to concentrate hard for anything much longer than 5 minutes. Consequently, sports fans (if you can call them that any longer) just love it. It's more fun than modern football, which is still played for a whole 15 minutes. Can you believe it, 15 minutes! Anyway, enjoy! ;-)
pool
Guest
I couldn't care less about Nathan Lyon. If the great man says he can do it well I for one will believe him. Let's face it Warne at fifty percent would have Lyon covered. C'mon CA make it happen. What a summer it would make.
Allanthus
Guest
We often used to get a cricket game going at lunchtime in our warehouse driveway in Collingwood. One day a Porsche pulled up outside, looking for a back stairs entrance for the computer company upstairs. It was Warnie. We let him park illegally on the condition he sent down a couple. Our Assistant Warehouse Manager was batting at the time, Warnie, best suit and all, grabbed the taped up tennis ball and rolled his arm over... the first went over cow corner, a six on any ground in the world, and the next was carved through cover, would have been four if it hadn't hit the rubbish skip. On that evidence, you couldn't have him...
Whiteline
Guest
AndyMack, Warne would be as effective as some of the trundlers you face at Kitchener Park. He's finished... I think you should let it go.
AndyMack
Guest
true, but he still better than lyon surely.....
Matt F
Roar Guru
The issue has now been killed a bit by the man himself now but if hypothetically he was serious then he should sign a contract with Victoria for the rest of the summer and probably a county side as well in the lead up to the Ashes (not just a T20 contract) and prove that he can still bowl long, quality spells against batsmen who are trying to block him instead of slog him.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
It's not going to happen. It was never going to happen. Warney the master self-publicist (and BBL promoter) was up to his old tricks. A section of the media fell for it, or at least played along on a quiet news day. No one was fooled, but Warney got a headline and put the BBL front and centre. Game over.
Neuen
Roar Rookie
Here I thought Australia want to go forward not bakwards
AndyMack
Guest
No screw it, i dont care about long term effects, i want to win the ashes. and then defend them. that means warne. wont hurt Lyon to go learn the craft for a year or two in shield cricket. will come back a better bowler.