Shane Warne - interviewed by James Davies

Q. Without doubt you are one of the best cricketers the world has ever seen, if not the best. What is the secret to your success, and what advice would you give to anyone facing the spin of Shane Warne?


A: Thank you very much first of all but I doubt, I don’t think I’m that but I think one of the most important things about playing any sort of sport, cricket especially is just about enjoyment. Just enjoy yourself, have fun, and enjoy the opportunity of playing in a team environment, to enjoy other team mates success. The key to my success is just to enjoy myself, I think that’s basically what I’ve tried to do and be pretty passionate about it. As to facing my bowling, just watch the hand and how the ball comes out of the hand and you'll know exactly what's happening.


Q: What and who attracted you to spin bowling?


A: Not sure to be honest. There’s no one stand out moment or one player that I thought I want to be like him or anything like that, it’s just one of those things that I chose to do.  I wasn’t that good as a younger child, it was just something when I did try I wasn’t too bad at it, so I stuck at and worked really hard at it with my brother and I’ve kept practicing pretty hard since then to become the best player I can and it’s all gone o.k.


Q: In the book you freely admit you have helped to make spin fashionable again, after it almost became extinct from the game. This must be something you are enormously proud of?


A: In the early and mid-90s we suddenly had four or five spinners doing pretty well around the world.  Captains started to realise that spin bowling didn't have to be defensive but they could actually be attacking bowling in both one-day and Test cricket.  I like to think I played a part in getting spin bowling back into fashion again.


Q: What advice would you give to any young aspiring cricketer who wishes to emulate all you have done and become if possible the next Shane Warne?


A: I think what they have to do first of all is be very passionate about what they do. Have to try and learn the best way they can, and be prepared that not everything’s going to be easy. There’s going to be a lot of hard work, there’s no easy way, there’s no short cut, there’s not anything like that you just have to practice really hard. And try and learn by the tough knocks and try and become better every time and improve and always try and become the best player you can.


Q: You just mentioned practice as a main attribute to success. Is this something you still regularly do in the nets to maintain your incredible standards of bowling?


A: I can’t practice as much as I’d like now with all of my injuries, but I still practice pretty hard. If I’m happy with the way I’m bowling, batting and catching then I’ll only make it short and sharp and practice but if I’m not happy I’ll bowl for as long as it takes, or bat for as long as it takes or catch for as long as it takes but yea I think you got to constantly do it, you can always improve.


Q: What is your fondest memory during your massively successful career so far?


A: Making my debut, for my first ever test match is by still my proudest moment.


Q: Finally, although as I have mentioned you’ve already had an enormously successful career so far, namely being named as one of the five cricketers of the century, becoming a world record holder with 400 Test wickets and bowling ‘The ball of the century’. Do you have any more goals you would like to reach, or anything else you would like to achieve?


A: I’ve got lots of goals I’d like to achieve both personally and from a teams point of view. So hopefully as long as the enjoyment stays there, I’d like to play cricket as long as I possibly can.