Shane Warne - RIP

[SpookyFrank]

Fucking hell that's a shock. Never liked him but well, there was a reason for that. Namely that he played for the other lot. And was extremely good.

RIP the second greatest spinner of all time.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

The thing for me about Warne as a bowler wasn't just that he reintroduced, brilliantly, the art of leg spin - he was bloody good at what he did with a cricket ball - but he seemed to be maybe the best cricketer ever at getting into people's heads to get them out. I think he got a lot of wickets with ordinary balls just by fooling or destroying the batsman in the mind. Maybe that's why he was a good poker player.

Yep. He was always going on about the new deliveries he was developing. He had three deliveries basically - the leg break, the wrong-un and the slider. The rest was natural variation, but he'd kid you into thinking he'd meant every single variation that ever left his hand.

It was also his control that marked him out from other leggies. A few 'full-bungers' were what you normally accepted with leg spinners. They're hard to land every time. Not a bit of it with Warne. He landed his three deliveries over after over after over.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Had an annoying habit of sticking around with the bat as well. He'd often find 40 runs when the other team really needed him not to.

 

[sleaterkinney]

The thing for me about Warne as a bowler wasn't just that he reintroduced, brilliantly, the art of leg spin - he was bloody good at what he did with a cricket ball - but he seemed to be maybe the best cricketer ever at getting into people's heads to get them out. I think he got a lot of wickets with ordinary balls just by fooling or destroying the batsman in the mind. Maybe that's why he was a good poker player.

Like this one.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Like this one.

I reckon that's a good example of natural variation. Don't think Gower is quite right there - it drifted a fair bit then turned a little. It was the leg break, just that one didn't turn as much.

Graeme Swann talks about that. He was basically always trying to give it a good rip. Some spun more than others. Sometimes the spin was in a slightly different direction. Sometimes it grips less off that particular spot on the pitch.

Adam Hollyoak. God he was crap.

 

[platinumsage]

Love this one, natural variation or not:

 

[Doctor Carrot]

He had a few wicket keepers who benefitted from his bowling , Healy & Gilchrist mainly. I remember Healy behind the stumps & his "nice one Warnie" at almost every ball

Ha and Gilchrist 'Boowled Shaaaane' in his thick aussie drawl

 

[Doctor Carrot]

Love this one, natural variation or not:

That's my favourite delivery by anyone. Just incredible bowling. I remember seeing it live and just feeling amazed that anyone could do that with a cricket ball.

 

[Idaho]

Probably the greatest cricketer of the era imo. The one who has had the biggest impact on cricket in many regards. Spin returned as an offensive option, not just the holding of an end.

 

[Combustible]

The thing for me about Warne as a bowler wasn't just that he reintroduced, brilliantly, the art of leg spin - he was bloody good at what he did with a cricket ball - but he seemed to be maybe the best cricketer ever at getting into people's heads to get them out. I think he got a lot of wickets with ordinary balls just by fooling or destroying the batsman in the mind. Maybe that's why he was a good poker player.

I love how he sets up the batsman here, Richie spots what he is doing, Cullinan not so much.

​

 

[ice-is-forming]

It's like the queen died here. No... not spontaneous street parties, but in the media & mourning. I think it may even become a public holiday

52, too young!

 

[Petcha]

What a shame. I have to admit, I found him immensely irritating as a commentator. He was the antithesis of Benaud whose mantra was 'if there's nothing to say, dont say anything'. He would just ramble on completely ignoring the actual cricket a lot of the time.

But he was the greatest bowler of all time. I know Murali took a few more wickets but Warne was by the far the most entertaining to watch. And by all accounts actually a lovely man.

 

[Idaho]

He had that knack of making his overs a conversation with the batsmen. They'd get drawn into it. He did that thing that Botham used to do when he got carted for 4 of smirking and suggesting that was all part of the plan.

 

[Mumbles274]

I watched the Prime show last night. Was really good and obviously really sad seeing him speaking so recently about his life, and today that's gone. Very sudden and shocking

 

[Ted Striker]

I'd take 52 years if they were spent like that, probably.

Ha and Gilchrist 'Boowled Shaaaane' in his thick aussie drawl

The benchmark for all wicketkeeper calls

 

[littlebabyjesus]

He had that knack of making his overs a conversation with the batsmen. They'd get drawn into it. He did that thing that Botham used to do when he got carted for 4 of smirking and suggesting that was all part of the plan.

That's a very good comparison. In the clip of him getting Cullinan above, Benaud does call it right from the start of the over tbf, but while he may have been intending an 'obvious' flipper first up, I doubt he intended a rank long hop to a brand new batter.

Post-career, the comparison with Botham is one of contrasts, I think. Botham became the ultimate company man and was less than generous about players coming after him. Warne embraced the changes that came after him, and he just loved all cricket - annoying sometimes, yes certainly, but never less than 100% engaged and loving all of it.

 

[Petcha]

I won't link to the Mail but apparently he was 'visited by two young Thai masseuses' an hour before he had his heart attack.

I'm sure that's the way he would have liked to go out.

They are believed to have provided treatments for the sporting icon and his friends, before being seen leaving at 2.58pm.

'Treatments'

 

[Pickman's model]

I won't link to the Mail but apparently he was 'visited by two young Thai masseuses' an hour before he had his heart attack.

I'm sure that's the way he would have liked to go out.



'Treatments'

not to mention one afterwards