Sri Lankans who watched cricket in 1980s were familiar with ‘Hadlee nightmare’. It was better named in Sinhala ‘Hadlee beethikawa’. In the next decade we witnessed ‘Warne beethikawa’. In 40 years of international cricket, no player had the impact that Warne had in Sri Lanka.
If there was a notion that Sri Lankans played wrist spin well, Warne made a myth out of it. Maybe, Sri Lankans of yesteryear didn’t have trouble over wrist spin making Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Ian Salisbury, Anil Kumble and et al eat humble-pie. Warne was unique. He always had something up his sleeve and walked away with a rich haul of wickets against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka literally created Warne. His debut in Sydney in 1992 was a disaster as Ravi Shastri made a double hundred. Warne conceded 150 runs and picked up just the wicket of Shastri in India’s only innings. In the next Test in Adelaide he didn’t pick up a wicket. Thankfully, Australia’s selectors didn’t lose patience. His larger than life would have made selectors wonder whether this investment was worth. But they realized despite a flamboyant exterior there was a fighter who could make an impact. Leg spin is a tough art and you need characters to execute it. Warne was that character.
His third Test was at SSC and there the legend of Shane Warne was born as he stunned Sri Lanka helping Australia to defend 181. It was a remarkable Test match as Australia won by 16 runs after nearly conceding a first innings lead of 300 runs. Warne dismissed the last three batsmen in 13 deliveries without conceding a run.
There were a few ODI series in between when Warne visited Sri Lanka. There was the infamous tour in 1994 when he and Mark Waugh had exchanged pitch and weather information with a bookie for money. There was that hurtful comment too in 1996 just after the Central Bank bombing when he said that ‘a bomb might go off in Colombo while I am shopping.’ A remark that earned a sharp reaction from the Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who said, ‘shopping is for sissies.’
Warne loved Sri Lanka. Despite his rivalry with Murali and verbal exchanges with Arjuna, he would win over the fans having bamboozled batsmen. Leg-spin is an art and there was no better practitioner in this difficult craft than Warne. Generously he would share tips with local wrist spinner like Malinga Bandara and Upul Chandana.
After his initial success in 1992, he made two Test visits to Sri Lanka. One in 1999 and his last in 2004 soon after his drug ban. Murali and Warne would go neck to neck in a bid to become the first bowler in the history to claim 500 Test wickets. Warne won the race. He picked up 26 wickets in the series including two match bags of ten wickets in Galle and Kandy. He was player of the Series as Australia whitewashed Sri Lanka 3-0.
After the series was over at SSC, Warne didn’t come down to meet the press. Instead, we were accompanied by the Australian Media Manager Jonathan Rose to the area behind the pavilion where he spoke to us after a couple of Benson & Hedges.
While in Colombo, Warne spent little time at the gym and more time at the Blue Elephant or the Cheers Pub and was making frequent visits to Upali’s or Chutney’s to taste his favourite Mutton varuval.
Like all legends in sports, Warne had a unique perspective to the game. He wasn’t a big fan of John Buchanan’s boot camp style training methods before a series.
Warne tricked the batsmen with his talk. Often, ahead of a big series, he would talk of having invented a new delivery. There was no extra weapon in the armoury but he had cast doubts in batsmen’s minds.
Ian Chappell called Warne the best captain Australia never had. His off field trouble denied him an opportunity to lead Australia but he was an outstanding thinker of the game and proved it by winning the inaugural IPL guiding a not so strong Rajasthan Royals side to the title.
Before Laureus or MCC came forward, Warne was the first person to visit Sri Lanka after the tsunami. He pledged support to help rebuild lives through the support of the Victorian government. He was a central part in organizing charity games in Australia involving Asian and World XIs to help the people affected by tsunami.
Warne played a key role in kids taking a liking to leg-spin. Obviously he mesmerized everyone with it but there was something that went beyond that. During Test matches in Australia at lunch breaks, Warne would speak on television on leg-spin and how to bowl leg-spin. That created interest in younger generation. Soon, he would teach how to try out the variations and what needs to be done to outfox the batsmen. These were all handy tips that generations of leg-spinners loved. One of the best lessons learnt watching those shows was that not to overdo the wrong’un and use it as a surprise weapon.
When you thought that it is impossible to replace Chappell or Benaud in the commentary box, Warne came along. He was great to listen to and there was so much to learn. He has been taken away too soon. Like his nickname ‘Hollywood’, he lived his life to the fullest. Often, in our parts of the world the word ‘legend’ is loosely used. Here’s a real one. He will be missed. Rest in Peace Warney.
