There's something to be said about a bowler who makes for gripping viewing while doing his thing. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a complete supporter of the cricket-is-a-bowler's-game-just-as-much-as-it-is-a-batsman's philosophy, but frankly, how many bowlers would you pay to watch? Rather unfortunately, bowlers don't have the option of displaying artistry while exercising their craft, something which comes quite naturally to batsmen like Brian Lara or Damien Martyn (another retiree who I really should have written about). With Shane Warne, however, it was entirely different. He was one bowler who put so much effort and thinking into his clashes with every single batsman that it was simply stunning to watch. You could almost see his mind work, as he tested his opponents with ripping leg-breaks and a plethora of other deliveries, some of which he gave his own creative definitions. There was the zooter (sadly, I've never really figured out what that does), the slider, the flipper, the googly (which he's never really loved too much) and many others which I don't personally know the names of. And very often he used all of these in a single over. A born entertainer.
People have often wondered how such a phenomenally shrewd brain as his could stop working so regularly when off the cricket field. The sheer stupidity of the many blunders he committed in his personal life has baffled the world just as completely as his mastery of the cricket ball. The nickname given him by his teammates, 'Hollywood', could hardly have been more apt for the man. I guess it's a thing with genius; masterful in one field and totally daft in others. Shane Warne fits the bill perfectly-he was undoubtedly brilliant with the ball, but somewhat of a blockhead without it. And history shows that it's the flawed genius who is remembered most vividly of all. So has Shane Warne done enough to go down as the most memorable and legendary crcketer of all? To my mind, yes, though much of what Warne has 'done' to achieve that status has come about unintentionally.
A lot of people have been saying that Warne is the greatest cricketer since Bradman. Personally, I don't quite agree with that. His shortcomings against Indian batsmen, particularly in India, will always stick out like a sore thumb in his otherwise dazzling career. Bradman never suffered failure against any particular opposition (unless you count having an average of 74.50 against the West Indies as compared to his overall 99.94 a failure). Neither did Viv Richards, Gary Sobers or Brian Lara, for that matter. So no, I do not think Warne is the greatest cricketer since Bradman, nor do I agree with the view that he is the 'bradman' of bowlers. And yet, even in failure Warne was astonishingly entertaining. His encounters with Sachin Tendulkar and Kevin Pietersen, two batsmen who often dominated him, have become the stuff of legend. History will definitely be very loving with Warne.
They say no matter how many wickets Muttiah Muralitharan ends up scalping (and the current projection is 1000), he will not be considered the best bowler of his generation, let alone of all time, because of his suspect action. However, I believe that it's not only Murali's suspect action that will go against him. The simple fact that his bowling was never as fascinating or jaw-dropping as Warne's will forever be etched in every cricket-lover's mind. Warne was pure genius; in fact, so breathtaking was his talent that some might even say he has under-achieved. And truly, if the name of a bowler who has taken 700 Test wickets, 1000 international wickets and has the distinction of having bowled the most famous, and possibly the best ball in the history of cricket can even be imagined in association with the word 'under-achiever', then we are talking of someone very very special. Take a bow, Shane Warne, you're a living legend.
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