Shane Warne, legendary Australian Leg-spinner, who conquered every big and small milestone in his career, passed away at the age of 52 on Friday. Shane Warne, who was named one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Century, was in Koh Samui, Thailand, while on holiday when he suffered a suspected heart attack. "Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived," his manager Michael Cohen’s statement reads. Ruling the cricketing world from 1992 and 2007, Warne picked more than 705 wickets in his 15-year long career. He even played a crucial role in the Australian Cricket team clinching the 1999 world cup trophy. Remembering the legendary King of Spin, here we bring you the top 10 lesser-known facts about the life of Shane Warne.
1. The legendary spinner made his international cricket debut in February 1992 at the Sydney Cricket Ground against India. The debut of the cricketer was not that special. At the time of his debut, he used to weigh 97kgs which was way too much for a bowler. And in the match, he just picked just a solitary wicket at the expense of 150 runs.
2. With time, Shane improved his game and rose as one of the finest leg spinners. He showcased his talent in the 1999 World Cup where he became the highest wicket-taking bowler and the Australian cricket team lifted the trophy.
3. Controversies and Shane were truly inseparable. When Warne was playing for Hampshire in 2000, reports emerged that he had sent lewd text messages to an English nurse.
4. Shane suffered a rare condition called complete heterochromia due to which one of his eyes was green while the other one was blue.
5. Other than his professional career, Shane made headlines for his connection with the betting industry. Shane Warne’s first known connection with the betting industry happened in 1994-95 when he and a team member, Mark Waugh, were fined by the Australian Cricket Board for divulging information about an upcoming match to a bookmaker.
6. Due to his spectacular cricketing career and betting connections, he was given many nicknames “Warnie”, “Hollywood” or “Baron of Baked Beans”, depending upon the occasion.
7. While Shane has a great connection with the ball, his connection with the ladies was not that strong. Warne was married to Simone Callahan from 1995 to 2005, Warne reportedly had several mistresses during the marriage and was caught red-handed sending lewd and sexual text messages to other girls on several occasions.
8. Shane had many highlights in his career but one of the prominent highlights of his career was when he lead the Rajasthan Royals to the title in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League.
9. Warne’s international retirement came in 2007 after Australia reclaimed the Ashes series of 2006-07, which was his ultimate goal. He ended his Test career with 708 wickets.
10. After retirement from all forms of competitive cricket, Warne made a seamless transition into the commentary box. He is widely regarded for his honest, perceptive, and fearless views. His books, ‘Shane Warne: My Own Story’ and ‘Warne: The Official Illustrated Career’, were both highly successful ventures.
