C Randall: Warne stays put to end charade (20 Oct 1997)

20 October 1997

Warne stays put to end charade

By Charles Randall

THE decision by Shane Warne this weekend not to commit himself to English cricket next summer after several weeks of apparent deliberation in Australia came as a wounding blow to the pride for the county sector generally.

His delay in giving a decision to the three clubs competing for his signature - Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Sussex - heightened suspicion that the leg-spinner never planned to fulfil his stated intentions. There was an element of charade about the past four or five weeks.

Warne's behaviour was embarrassing for the counties - like Prince Charming flirting with three Ugly Sisters before realising, at the last moment, he had a home to go to.

His reasons for snubbing three offers, which were generous without precedent by worldwide domestic cricket standards, were real enough, but the timing did not allay suspicion about his intentions.

He explained yesterday he needed a rest and that he wanted to be with his wife and daughter, who was born in June, but these factors had remained consistent from the time he opened negotiations through his agent, Austin Robertson.

Pundits in Australia predicted all along that Warne would not be leaving Victoria for two reasons, firstly a huge sportswear contract with Nike, which would be served best in his own country, and secondly the irritation of the Australian Cricket Board, who were anxious he should avoid injury through wear and tear.

Warne, with 262 Test wickets to his name at the age of 28, has put his international career first, and the high offers he received from England coincided with criticism from players within Australia that the board had been undervaluing professional cricketers.

Tony Pigott, Sussex's chief executive, could have been speaking for them all three counties when he said: "It is hugely disappointing because when we spoke to him he was very keen to come. Lots of things have happened since then, and the longer it went on I felt the more we were losing out."

The counties have been left to seek another overseas player. Nottinghamshire are the least affected, as they knew they could bring Chris Cairns, the New Zealand all-rounder, back again.

Northamptonshire have eyes on a bowler such as Anil Kumble while Sussex have approached Sanath Jayasuriya, the Sri Lankan batsman.

Sussex are due to announce at Hove this week a new captain, very unlikely now to be an overseas player. Their interest has focused on Chris Adams, the batsman released from his contract by Derbyshire.

Warne wrote in his Melbourne Age column that, though the offers were "very, very tempting", his only chance for a rest from heavy commitments in the next year would be during the English summer.

He said: "Playing a season of county cricket might have shortened my Australian career and that was a worry."

The English circuit is this week left admiring not Warne, and his dithering, but the ability of a county like Sussex to put together a package worth more than £200,000 for a summer's work. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)