The Rediff Cricket Interview/ Shane Warne
'I don't know how long I will continue'
Rare accuracy and an ability to spin the ball prodigiously have made Shane Warne one of the greatest bowlers of his time. The broad-shouldered, flashy Victorian, with blond-tipped hair and a liking for custom-made jewellery made time for Anant Gaundalkar during the Sharjah contest this week.
You were not scheduled to play in Sharjah. How come you are here?
I don't know much about all this talk about me skipping the Sharjah tournament. Although my shoulder is badly bruised I never said I was not coming to Sharjah. I love to play cricket as long as I am fit and my services are needed for my country. I will never miss a series for small and lame excuses. That's is paramount in my mind and I'm clear about it.
How do you rate your performance during the tour of India?
When you have my reputation it's hard to live up to it every time you bowl. All the talk about Indian wickets being spinner-friendly is just not true. I found the tracks in India slow and dry -- something I am not very used to. Having said that, you cannot deny that the Indian batsmen are great players of spin. They use their feet beautifully and deal with spin in the best possible manner. They make full use of the crease and are not afraid to come down the track. That upsets spin bowlers. The Indians are tough customers.
How would you compare the Indian batting line-up with others in the world?
At this juncture India enjoys a good and strong batting line-up in Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja. Their combined batting ability, all round strokes all over the wicket is the best in the world today. Each of these batsmen are different in their approach and can take on any bowling attack in world cricket. There is too much batting depth in India's armoury.
Do you think you failed in India? And how has it been playing in Sharjah?
I was not the only one who failed in India. We didn't have a good tour at all, but if I did not click in India it does not mean that I am not going to have wickets in Sharjah. The conditions in India are very different from those prevailing here. It was very hot and humid in India, with temperatures often reaching 45 degrees C. Further, all the one-day matches were played in the day in India while the games are day-night here and that makes a lot of difference.
You said you didn't have a good Test series in India. Do you think others spinners from other countries have suffered the same fate?
I don't know about this. But I have not heard of any spinners doing well in India in the contemporary era. Maybe in the past, legendary figures like Richie Benaud and Lance Gibbs did well in India. They were great spinners with a lot of variety in their deliveries.
Who would you rate as the best all-round batsman in the world?
There are lot of contenders. Australia's Waugh brothers, Mark and Steve. India's Sachin Tendulkar. The West Indies's Brian Lara. Pakistan's Saeed Anwar. Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya. All are going great guns. But when it comes to judging the best among these fabulous band of batsmen, my vote goes to Tendulkar. He has an uncanny ability to come out on top under different circumstances and under different conditions, whether it is Test cricket or one-day internationals. And more importantly, he has done this so young.
After you captured 300 Test wickets, Richie Benaud said you would cross the 600 Test wicket mark.
I don't know how long I will continue, with my shoulder giving me constant pain on and off. If the problem does not diminish soon, then surgery is the only option left. In that case I will miss a few matches. Then everything will depend upon how the surgery goes. I don't know if I will go on to take 600 Test victims. It is a tall order -- an achievement no cricketer has accomplished in over 125 years of Test history. But as I said earlier, I will continue to play international cricket as long as I am fit and the national selectors choose me. So far I have fully enjoyed my sojourn at the competitive level and it is great fun when one comes across so many players from all over the world.
In your distinguished career, which is the best batting line-up and the best batsmen you have bowled to?
The Indians during the just-concluded series. Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara are the best batsmen I have come across.
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