Shane Warne

He spellbound batsmen and crowds alike

Thrown the ball by Allan Border with Australia in crisis in Sri Lanka in 1992, Shane Warne took quick wickets to engineer a remarkable Test victory and announce a career that made him a bowler respected and feared in equal measure. As intimidating as a fast bowler and supremely self-confident he bowled a richly varied array of deliveries with awesome control.

A highly intelligent cricketer his controversial private life cost him the chance to captain Australia. However, he led with vision and distinction in first-class cricket and in the Indian Premier League. For years he vied with Muttiah Muralitharan for the distinction of being the most prolific wicket-taker in the history and their names adorn the trophy for competition between Australia and Sri Lanka. He was one of Wisden's Five cricketers of the 20th century.

'When Shane is good, he's very, very good and when he's bad, he's very good. His worst is better than some of our best. He has so much attacking ability... his work ethic has made him the bowler he is and his dedication to experimenting has helped him enormously.' Terry Jenner

'Warne's very tight line, on middle-and-leg or even leg stump, has him hardly ever being driven through the covers... he imparts such a spin on the ball... his "drift" in the air is also very disconcerting and the ball you have very much in your mind each time he approaches is the flipper. It is an astonishing delivery and he produces it at pace.' Graeme Gooch

The Stats

One of only five Cricketers of the Century, Shane Warne redefined the art of leg-spin bowling and popularized it for a generation of young cricketers around the world. His incredible skill allowed people to discover the nuances of bowling that aren't as obvious in fast and medium bowlers. He also made the hardest craft in cricket look deceptively easy and therein lies his brilliance.

Did you know?

With a wicket every 10 overs at home, and every 9 overs away, and a bowling average of 24.61 overseas, compared with 26.39 in home Tests, Shane Warne has a better record on grounds outside of Australia. The batsman Warne dismissed most in Tests is England's Alec Stewart, who succumbed 14 times in the 23 Tests in which they were opponents.