The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Plaudits pour in for Warne

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Saturday, Oct 16, 2004

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Plaudits pour in for Warne

SYDNEY, OCT. 15. Injured Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting lauded teammate Shane Warne's Test wicket record on Friday as a tribute to Warne's dedication to the spin game.

"He thoroughly deserves it as far as I am concerned, he is one of the all-time greats of the game for what he has done, not only for cricket in Australia but for spin bowling worldwide has been remarkable," Ponting said.

Warne surged to the top of Test cricket's all-time wicket-takers list on Friday when he dismissed Irfan Pathan for his 533rd wicket in the second Test match in Chennai. Retired Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy, who watched Warne claim most of his Test victims from behind the stumps, felt it was a matter of when and not if Warne would achieve the feat.

"With his ability and longevity he was always going to achieve this and I think there is plenty of wickets left in him as well," he said.

Former Australian captain and fellow leg-spinner Richie Benaud believes Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan would be back soon enough to battle for his record.

Warne, 35, had Pathan caught by Matthew Hayden at slips to overtake Muralitharan's mark of 532.

"It's a great performance by Warney to become the leading wicket-taker, but I believe Murali will challenge him again," Benaud said.

Benaud said Warne was "the best leg-spinner the world has ever seen. I'm delighted he's got it."

Former England captain and television commentator Tony Greig said it was Warne's temperament that set him apart.

"It was clear very early on that he was going to be a brilliant leg-spinner because of the way he spun the ball and his temperament," he said.

However Greig thought it was difficult to compare Warne with great bowlers of other eras. "I think comparisons at the moment are a little bit silly because modern players play so many more matches, so I think you should look at it in conjunction with strike rates," he said.

Warne's coach Terry Jenner, a former spin bowler, told Britain's Sky Sports: "I think the highlight for us in the spin bowlers' union is to see two spin bowlers at No. 1 and 2.

Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland also praised Warne for his spin bowling exploits.

"In addition to his feats on the ground, Shane has played a pivotal role in revolutionising the art of leg spin bowling, which has inspired a new generation of children to the craft," said Sutherland. — AP

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