Clear images of Shane Warne abroad (29 August 1999)

29 August 1999

Clear images of Shane Warne abroad

Trevor Chesterfield

Colombo (Sri Lanka) - There are no half measures when it comes to an opinion on Shane Warne on this emerald isle of the Indian Ocean: he is either a hero or a villain. And most are belong to the supporters club which is inclined towards the adoption of Plan A: the hiring of a three-wheeler to run him out of town.

And first impressions judging the mildly hostile reactions of crowds in Galle and at Premadasa Stadium and the Sinhalese Cricket Club in the steamy capital, most prefer this option. Not that crowds set out to work themselves into a frenzy when he comes on to bowl, lays hand on the ball when fielding or emerges from the pavilion to bat. This is your typical of the love-hate relationship you get between players and spectators. In the years of isolation in South Africa Clive Rice had such an image when it came to provincial matches and it added spice to the game. Likewise, Warne does not set out to be controversial. His comments are designed to have maximum affect which according to your persuasion you either disapprove or approve.

It is all about showmanship, the Hollywood style of hype and hard sell which adds extra dimension to the image of the game and which spectators respond by making up their mind whether they want to go and watch or not. Long gone is the 'Ugly Australian' caricature of the first tour of South Africa where he was fined his match fee and disciplined by the Australian Cricket Board in early 1994 for his reaction to the dismissal of Andrew Hudson at the Wanderers.

Such 'over the top' demonstrations have been replaced by a more disciplined approach and a more mature outlook on the game and the image the public associate with him and which comes with his aggressive bowling. Being the player who has had the biggest impact on the game in the last 25 years he has not had to work too hard on making headlines.

Even that staid voice of American jingoism, the New York Herald managed to find a headline suitable to the occasion in 1996 when he uttered the comment how 'shopping in downtown Colombo could be (a) dangerous (exercise)' to which reply a petulant Sri Lanka politician suggested that 'shopping was for sissies. One thing of which we all know, Warnie is far from being a 'sissy'.

Then, as we well know, most Sri Lanka politicians are not known for their proclivity when selecting their phrases with care. They are a little like the drivers of some three wheelers: barter one fare and then when you arrive at your destination you find they have added an extra Rs50 to the price tag. Making capital gain out of a situation seems to be a general habit which leaves a heavy odour of corruption wafting through the halls of authority.

Yet, when he announced at the media briefing after the World Cup that he was rethinking his future, there was some beefy anguish in the British press the next day. One of colourful characters in the game was about to remove himself from the stage and it was hard to accept after the way he had bowled in the last two games. What he really said was that he wanted a break and a rethink about his future.

Before the start of the limited overs triangular Aiwa Cup his right shoulder gave him problems and he is far from the form which saw him pressurise South Africa and Pakistan in the World Cup semi-final and final. And if you understand the way he thinks, and works at his game, he is far different to the aggressive image you get.

But as with Glenn McGrath, the defining line between competitiveness and aggression depends on your interpretation of either word. As Steve Waugh said at the start of the tournament, he preferred to think of 'sledging' as gamesmanship. Frankly the term 'competitive' sits more snugly around the shoulders of Warne than the say that of 'aggressive'. One implies skill and rivalry while the other is dripping with the imagery of 'hostile intent'. Warne is the sort of player who, away from public view, would cheerfully dish out autographs, the odd bit of spare clothing in terms of caps and the odd T-shirt; his brief applause and encouragement of 20-year-old rookie Charmara Silva went largely unnoticed by the big crowd at Premadasa Stadium on Thursday night. And it is not an isolated incident. He is known to encourage younger players and indulge in the odd word of advice or coaching. So, the supporters of the three-wheeler club should rethink their option and enjoy watching a master craftsman at work. He revived the corpse of leg-spin bowling and showed how wristspin is as an attacking form of bowling as any thing delivered by Messrs McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Javagal Srinath.

Source :: Trevor Chesterfield