(Reuters) – Former Australia captain and ‘voice of cricket’ Richie Benaud, who handed away in 2015, credited Shane Warne with reviving the art of spin bowling, notably leg spin, after an period dominated by quick bowlers.
During the Nineteen Seventies and ’80s, Australia had Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson; England possessed Ian Botham and Bob Willis; India had Kapil Dev; Pakistan noticed the rise of Imran Khan; New Zealand had Richard Hadlee; and West Indies boasted Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft and Malcolm Marshall.
Fast bowlers had been ruling the sport.
Spin bowling, notably the art of leg spin, appeared a dying art – extra so exterior the Indian subcontinent the place pitches suited quick bowling and spinners not often acquired help from the monitor.
“Warney”, as Warne was referred to by cricket followers and gamers, resurrected the art of leg spin and added glamour and flamboyance to it.
“He breathed new life into cricket by reinventing its most refined art”, ESPN mentioned in its ‘Legends of Cricket’ phase when introducing Warne, whereas additionally describing the Australian leg-spinner as the “best spin bowler of all time”.
Benaud, who was a leg spinner himself and with whom Warne loved a good relationship, mentioned in 2005 that Warne “stopped quick bowling in its tracks and he introduced in leg spinning”.
It appeared becoming that when Warne bowled his “Ball of the Century”, Benaud was on air to supply commentary on it.
“And he has accomplished it, he began off with the most lovely supply”, Benaud mentioned when Warne bowled that supply to Mike Gatting in 1993 throughout an Ashes collection in England.
Many of cricket’s present leg spinners have credited Warne with inspiring them to decide on bowling leg spin as a profession – India’s Yuzvendra Chahal, Pakistan’s Yasir Shah and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan amongst them.
“Can really feel my arms shaking as I sort this out. The motive behind me choosing bowling leg spin. My inspiration my idol since childhood”, Chahal tweeted after information of Warne’s demise at the age of 52 on Friday.
“I’d wish to suppose that I helped to make spin bowling a bit cool”, Warne mentioned when he was awarded the BBC’s ‘Overseas Sports Personality of the Year’ in 2005. The award was introduced by Benaud.
In the Ashes collection that yr, Warne picked up 40 wickets, together with his 600th scalp, regardless of being on the dropping facet as England beat Australia 2-1 in what many consultants consider was one in every of the best cricket collection of all time.
A yr and a half later, Warne’s Australia acquired their revenge and received the following Ashes 5-0, with Warne selecting up his 700th Test wicket and retiring from worldwide cricket after that collection.
“I do not suppose I may have written my script any higher”, Warne mentioned when he introduced his retirement.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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