Warne faces risk of burnout

Shane Warne is in serious danger of aggravating his old injuries if he continues bowling prolonged spells against England, according to his mentor Terry Jenner. Warne bowled 85 overs in the Adelaide Test match and Jenner believes at 37, Warne's career could be over sooner than expected unless his workload is reduced.

"Shane's got a bigger heart than Phar Lap, but if he keeps bowling 80 overs a Test, I don't see him going on until 40," Jenner told The Sunday Telegraph. "Shane can't keep bowling those overs or the next thing he will have a recurrence of an injury. It's common sense to say he needs some Test matches where he does a little, but not a lot.

"Knowing Shane, he will take any amount of bowling he can get. But if he's going to play until he's 40, he can't afford any more of these 80-over Tests. That's too much for anyone. I'm worried about his workload in Perth. If he bowls another 80 overs, you don't know what impact that would have.

Warne's Adelaide effort, which included 53 overs in the first innings and 32 in the second, was his fourth-highest tally in his 142 Tests. His greatest was against South Africa in Cape Town in 2002, when he sent down 98 overs in a Man-of-the-Match performance. But Jenner said Warne should not have to be the team's workhorse for ever.

"I just hope for Australia's and Shane's sake he doesn't have to be used so frequently," he said. "What he did in Adelaide was a testament to his courage and stamina. He had to be hurting. It was a lot of overs for anyone to bowl, let alone a 37-year-old.

"People need to be aware he has had two shoulder operations and two operations on his spinning finger. He's not as robust or flexible as he once was, but he's put that aside to try to win Tests for Australia. Common sense must prevail. He cannot possibly remain so involved in, and change the course of, every Test he plays."