Shane Warne, unfortunately, passed away today due to a suspected heart attack. He was 52 years old when he passed away. He had a long career as a cricketer and was widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the game’s history, despite his untimely death.
Here are the top 10 facts about Shane Warne:
- Obesity plagued him.
Although he was a cricket player, there was a time when he was not fit and suffered from obesity. When he played his first Test match against India in Sydney, Mr Warne weighed as heavy as 97 kilos!
- A tweet got him in controversy!
Mr Warne was a man who got himself in controversies. However, a controversy emerged during the 2011 World Cup. India was set to play against England and Mr Warne had tweeted that it would be a tie. To everyone’s surprise, it was indeed a tie! The next day, the Australian Channel Fox Sport had run a headline “Genius or Match-Fixer?”.
Looking forward to the game between india and England today should be a cracker..
My prediction a tie !— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) February 27, 2011
- He had two eye colours.
Shane Warne had a unique set of eyes because one of his eyes is green while the other is blue. He had complete heterochromia, a condition in which a person’s eyes are of two different colours.
- A foundation to help the seriously ill and underprivileged children.
Shane Warne established a foundation in 2004 after retiring to help seriously ill and underprivileged children. However, in 2017 the foundation was shut down because there were investigations and controversy over its finances.
Mr Warne’s foundation.
Image Source: LookToTheStars
- Paid to quit smoking.
Shane Warne was once paid by the Australian cricket board to quit smoking. Mr Warne was a chain smoker who found it difficult to quit or stay without a cigarette.
- Ball of the century.
Mr Warne’s first ball in Ashes cricket, later referred to as the ball of the century, was a giant leg-break that drifted away to leg and then ripped back to crash into Mike Gatting’s (a former English cricket player) off-bail. Here is the video for the same:
#OnThisDay in 1993, the ball of the century from Shane Warne 💪pic.twitter.com/yhZS2FBWqE
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 4, 2020
- His Achilles Heel.
Although a remarkable bowler, he had an Achilles Heel, Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin Tendulkar was one of the few players who could bat easily to Mr Warne’s balling. Mr Warne famously claimed that he had nightmares that Mr Tendulkar danced around the wicket and hit a six!
Shane Warne with Sachin Tendulkar
Image Source: CricTracker
- A career in IPL.
Mr Warne had another notable career after his retirement. During his captaincy, he was aggressive and had incredible management skills. Experts even stated that Mr Warne was Australia’s greatest captain who never was.
Shane Warne in an IPL Match.
Image Source: India TV News
- Retirement.
Before entering the IPL field, Mr Warne had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2007. This came after Australia had reclaimed the 2006-07 Ashes Series which was his final goal. He ended his Test career with 708 wickets.
- Post-retirement.
Mr Warne had an eventful post-retirement life. He had made a steady transition into the commentary box and was regarded for his honest, perceptive and fearless opinions. He had written books such as Shane Warne: My Own Story and Shane Warne: My Official Illustrated Career. These books were highly successful.
One of his books.
Image Source: Amazon
No doubt he had a wonderful and interesting career. Mr Warne shall forever be remembered in the history of cricket.
References: India Today and Crictracker
