Shane Warne’s reputation as a cavalier cricketer, on and off the field, is justified but is not the whole story
The shock waves are not confined to Australia. Shane Warne, like Rod Marsh, was a global presence in cricket. We were all trying to come to terms with the loss of Marsh, reading the torrent of tributes including this one from Warne, which suddenly acquired a haunting quality: “Sad to hear the news that Rod Marsh has passed. He was a legend of our great game and an inspiration to so many young boys and girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket and gave so much – especially to Australia and England players.” Then the second thunderbolt struck and this time without any warning.
Warne was a legend and an inspiration. He started under Marsh’s wing at the Adelaide academy before graduating in spectacular fashion to become the greatest spin bowler I’ve ever seen, someone who single-handedly kept the art of wrist-spin bowling alive in the 1990s.
