Shane Warne

Shane Warne was an Australian international cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time. He played as a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-handed batsman for Victoria, Hampshire and Australia. He made 145 Test appearances, taking 708 wickets, and set the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket, a record he held until 2007. He was also a member of the Australian team that won the 1999 Cricket World Cup. He was a useful lower-order batsman who scored more than 3,000 Test runs, with a highest score of 99. He retired from international cricket at the end of Australia's 2006–07 Ashes series victory over England. Warne was born in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, on 13 September 1969, the son of Brigitte and Keith Warne. He attended Hampton High School and later Mentone Grammar School. He showed an early interest in cricket and Australian rules football. He played for St Kilda Cricket Club and represented Victoria in both sports at under-19 level. Warne made his first-class debut for Victoria in 1990–91 and his Test debut for Australia against India in Sydney in January 1992. He rose to fame when he bowled England's Mike Gatting with his first delivery in an Ashes Test at Old Trafford in June 1993. The ball spun sharply from outside leg stump to clip the off bail, and was dubbed the "Ball of the Century". Warne went on to become one of the most prolific wicket-takers in Test history, with a record 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket hauls. He was also known for his variations of spin, such as the googly, the flipper and the slider. Warne was a key member of the Australian team that dominated world cricket in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He played a vital role in Australia's World Cup triumph in 1999, taking four wickets in the final against Pakistan. He also helped Australia win three consecutive Ashes series in 1997, 2001 and 2002–03, as well as achieving a record 16 consecutive Test victories between October 1999 and February 2001. He captained Australia in 11 ODIs and three Tests when regular skipper Steve Waugh was injured. Warne's career was not without controversy. He was fined for accepting money from a bookmaker in 1994–95 and banned for a year for testing positive for a banned diuretic in 2003. He also faced allegations of sexual misconduct and marital infidelity. He divorced his wife Simone Callahan in 2005 after 10 years of marriage and three children. He later had a high-profile relationship with actress Elizabeth Hurley from 2010 to 2013. Warne retired from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney in January 2007. He received a standing ovation from the crowd and his teammates as he left the field for the final time. He finished his Test career with 708 wickets at an average of 25.41 and a strike rate of 57.4. He also scored 3,154 runs at an average of 17.32 and a highest score of 99. He remains the second-highest wicket-taker in Test history behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan. After retirement, Warne played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rajasthan Royals from 2008 to 2011. He was the captain and coach of the team and led them to the title in the inaugural season in 2008. He also played for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL) from 2011 to 2013. He worked as a cricket commentator and pundit for various media outlets, including Sky Sports, Nine Network and Fox Cricket. He also engaged in various charitable and commercial activities, such as the Shane Warne Foundation, Advanced Hair Studio and 888 Poker. Warne died of a suspected heart attack on 4 March 2022 while on holiday in Koh Samui, Thailand. He was with his friend and business partner Andrew Neophitou, who found him unconscious in his room at a luxury villa. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death shocked the cricketing world and prompted tributes from fellow players, fans and celebrities. He was honoured with a state funeral at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 30 March 2022, where a statue of him bowling was unveiled and a stand was named after him. He was buried at Sorrento Cemetery in Sorrento, Victoria. Warne is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time and one of the most influential figures in the history of the sport. He revolutionised the art of leg spin bowling and inspired a generation of spinners around the world. He was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century in 2000, alongside Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Sir Vivian Richards. He was also inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2013 and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) posthumously in 2022 for his service to cricket.