Warne

Atherton has written a piece on Shane Warne, and it makes for interesting reading.

I always felt in a battle against not only a great bowler but a dominant personality as well. The pause and gather at the end of his mark; the slow, measured run-up, the ball dancing to his tune, the inevitable stare once the ball was dead, the knowing smile whether it had gone for four or none, and a well-chosen word or two were all designed to give the impression that it was the bowler who was in control.

This truly is such an integral part of the Shane Warne performance- and it looks to me like that attitude is what the painting at Lord's has captured the best.

The one area where Warne is still incomparable is what I would call his cricketing craft. He is simply the smartest bowler I ever played against, and is still the smartest around. As his physical powers decline, and his genius fades, it is his knowledge, his nous, his competitive instincts and his ability to work out a batsman quicker than anyone else that are keeping his ageing body ahead of the pack.

And this is something I have loved to watch. It is the reason i will come back after ad breaks or other distractions, even if I have missed the other bowler's over in a not so interesting match- to watch Warnre bowl with that glint in his eye. Many years ago, when my interest in cricket turned into some sort of passion, I started admiring Warne. None of that has diminished. It has been complicated by his so called misdemeanours, accentuated by his steely resolve, confounded by his maverick tendencies, but always, deepened by his undying craft.