Hidden away in Shane Warne’s News Ltd newspaper column today is a paragraph which may reveal a clue to one of the most compelling sports stories this year: his return to Test cricket.
When the notion of a Warne comeback was first raised in May, and then again reared its head last week, most thought the idea preposterous. Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland almost snorted at the suggestion and dismissed it as another of the cheeky chappie’s publicity stunts.
Then, just as the derision was dying down, Australia lost its 36-year-old uncapped leg-spinner Bryce McGain to injury in India and replaced him with a part-time leggie who bowled just 84 overs (and claimed six wickets) for Victoria last summer. In the absence of a top-line Test tweaker, the Aussies struggled to make any impact on the Indian batting line-up in Bangalore and cricket followers were confronted with the reality of life, post-Warne, post-MacGill and post-Hogg.
Then they began to think ahead to next year’s five-Test series in England and how, in a spinner-free zone, the Aussies might well find themselves on the wrong end of another Ashes beating. And they remembered how hard that was to take last time, with all the gloating in the British papers and the English players being feted in open-top buses and hosted to tea-parties at Buckingham Palace. And then they thought: maybe the idea of Warney dusting off the creams again isn’t such a bad idea.
Now this comeback speculation won’t go away. In fact, it’s out there as strong as ever. It is said Warne has his eye on the Ashes Tour. We know he loves living and playing in England; we know the Australian line-up is bereft of quality spinners; we know his idea of fun is making nongs of English batsmen (and Daryll Cullinan); we know his presence in the Australian team would tilt the Ashes’ odds our way. In a way, it all adds up (although he’d need to put in a big summer for Victoria to convince the national selectors of his bona fides).
And Warne’s column today has done nothing to hose down the idea. He writes: ”I was recently in England to launch my book of the top 100 players I played with and against and was asked the question: Would I come out of retirement? My answer was the same as it’s always been: No, I am happily retired at this stage and I am in the same boat as Harvey Norman – no interest!”
Then came the interesting part: ”The reason I say ‘at this stage’ is because through experience I have learned to say ‘never say never’ in my life.”
Warney at Cardiff’s new stadium next July marking out the five-pace run-up? Don’t rule it out.
