Former Wallabies and now England rugby coach Eddie Jones has paid tribute to Shane Warne, with a funny anecdote about a net session where the cricket legend brought confident Wendell Sailor down to earth with a thud.
Jones coached Australia’s rugby side between 2001 and 2005, and was asked to reflect on Warne during his media conference ahead of his team’s Six Nations clash with Ireland on Monday AEDT.
“It’s a terrible time. Shane was an icon, wasn’t he? He changed the game of cricket,” Jones told reporters.
“I was lucky enough to meet him on a couple of occasions. I remember we had a net session with the Wallabies against the Australians right when they were rising to the top.
“We had a guy called Wendell Sailor and he was a larger-than-life character.
“He was batting against Stuart MacGill, who was the other leg spinner, and Wendell is coming in and smashing MacGill out of the nets. Warney grabbed the ball, winked to the blokes behind the net and said, ‘watch this’.
‘He gave him two balls, floated it up, and let Wendell smash it.
“The third one he bowled a bit shorter, faster, and he was bowled. Then he told Wendell where to go. I thought it was a great little insight into such a wonderful sportsman.”
Shane Warne of Australia looks on with Wendell Sailor, Morgan Turinui and George Smith of the Wallabies squad during training at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 12, 2005 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
Meanwhile a tearful former Australia captain Ricky Ponting says he should have told Warne he loved him while he had the chance.
“I’ve had the television on this morning watching a lot of the tributes to him, but any time I hear his voice, I have to turn it off,” said Ponting on an ICC podcast.
Asked if there was something he could say to him, Ponting replied: “As I’ve said to a lot of the guys I’ve been talking to over the last couple of days, just how much I love him.”
“I didn’t say that, but I wish I did.”
“It’s up to us now that are here, who have that great passion about the game and can talk about the up, it’s up to us to carry on Shane’s legacy that he left,” Ponting added.
“I’ve known him for a long time and understood him pretty well, It’s up to me now whenever I get an opportunity to let the world know what he was all about and what he was like.
“Hopefully pass on to people his knowledge and some of the things I learned from him as well.”
ojp44
Guest
except that one time in the windies....
Utah
Guest
A lot of MacGills tests were played on turning pitches, hence his selection. Warne was selected on all pitches.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I dunno where l got it either. I did nearly die 7 weeks ago and maybe my brain doesn’t work as good since then. 42.7°C. Maybe I’m losing my marbles. That’d be marbless
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Oh yeah I absolutely agree. I may not have been clear but I don't think there is any way MacGill was bowling properly to Wendell Sailor and getting hit (that's what I mean by "intentional pies" - he was intentionally giving big Dell some pies). Not sure where you got the 6 wickets/test from though - MacGill took around 4.7 wickets/test (still excellent!).
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
See below
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
See below
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I agree with all of what you said but McGill bowled out top orders very well. You don't take over 6 W/T and get slammed by a Rugby player. It doesn't add up. Only the very best take 6 W/T at that level. ---------- That said l could wax lyrical as the Tour de Force of all bowlers. See elsewhere what I've written about Warne. I've made statements like Warne took most of his wickets walking back to his bowling mark such was his hegemony. My point was not that McGill was the same as Warne rather that Wendell Sailor would be a numpty and that McGill would've been all over him like a rash. Heck in my 20s/30s l would've got Wendell.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
I'm sure Macgilla was bowling intentional pies, since it's obviously a bit of fun. That said, much as I love Stuart MacGill he was not in the same class as Warne. He bowled some amazing deliveries but was nowhere near as accurate as Warnie. When the wicket was flat and the batsmen on top, he couldn't control the game the same way Warne could. At his best, he was almost as dangerous, just not as consistent as Warne.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
McGill was a very good spinner,but if Warne bowled his flipper at Wendell,he wouldn't have had a clue about playing it,which is probably what happened.
josh
Roar Rookie
McGill was a big spinner, but was prone to bowling junk, your typical leg spinner if it's on its on, if its not then its bat fodder. Warne knew what he was doing with every ball.
Sheikh
Roar Rookie
I recall one lunchtime break where “celebs” were batting against various bowlers, often Warne or MacGill, with the runs they score being converted to cash for charities (so the bowlers were going easy on them!). Hugh Jackman was up against Warne one day. Now Jackman was a decent cricketer (I think he was in the NSW junior teams) and with easy-pitched deliveries he scored well off Warne off the six balls he faced. Afterwards, as Taylor(?) was handing back to the studio you could see in the background Jackman and Warnie chatting and Jackman obviously asked for a ‘proper’ delivery from Warne. So Warne bowled one more ball, which completely flummoxed Jackman and clean-bowled him.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Dell was smashing McGill all about. I find that I'm doubting Eddie's words here. SM was statistically as good as Warne re W/T. Dell could bat McGill but not Warne? Hmmm