Shane Warne’s transgressions: The maverick cricketer in his most honest interview ever!
In an HT Brunch exclusive, Warne talks about “Selfish Steve Waugh”, his most salacious tabloid headlines, and the best relationship he’s ever had (with Liz Hurley, who else?!!)
Rewind to the cricket World Cup 1999. Australia blew Pakistan away in the final at Lord’s, winning the trophy in an anticlimax of a match that I watched while spending the summer in England. Shane Warne was Man of the Match in both the semi-final and the final. Yet, stories of the leg-spinner considering quitting the game were doing the rounds. My cursory interest in cricket did not extend to reading the nuances of spin-bowling, but I was certainly a fan of the flamboyant cricketer. I happened to see him and other members of the Australian team during transit in Dubai. Untroubled by the fact that thousands of fans intrude in similar fashion, I went up to Warne and asked him if he was indeed contemplating retirement. That was in the era before selfies. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Don’t, don’t,” I said and he walked away smiling.
