Warne: Ready, willing and almost able (18 October 1998)

18 October 1998

Warne: Ready, willing and almost able

By Ian Chappell

IT is not a matter of if Shane Warne will participate in the Ashes series, but rather of how many Tests he will play.

His manager is predicting Warne will be back for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, which is what the doctor said following his shoulder operation. That would mean he would play in two Tests. Not surprisingly, as a player who loves being in the thick of the action, the man himself is aiming to come back earlier.

After turning his arm over in the nets last Thursday after stumps were drawn in a pre-season game in Brisbane, he rates himself a 50-50 chance of playing for Victoria in the opening Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania next week - an early enough start to play in the first Test in Brisbane, which starts on Nov 20.

"If I'm honest, I'm just not sure when I'll play," Warne told me. "I'm doing everything by the book and I'm leaving myself in the doctors' hands, so deep down I'm as much in the dark as everyone else is. There are times when the shoulder improves very quickly and others when it doesn't progress at all and it's very frustrating. But I certainly haven't ruled out being back for the first Test."

It may be ominous news for England, but Warne's sense of relief that the waiting is nearly over is almost tangible. "It has worried me because cricket is my living, it puts bread on the table, and I've been through difficult times when I wondered if I would ever bowl again. Those times appear to have gone and it's now a matter of when, not if."

I am not surprised Warne is keen to play at the Gabba. He has enjoyed great success at the ground and the last time an Ashes Test was played there he took 11 wickets, including eight in the second innings. Warne may well play in the first Test, but I doubt if he will play in the following one at the WACA.

He does not have a great record there, where the pitch is more suited to the pace men and the breeze assists swing bowlers. The selectors could well take the opportunity to keep him fresh for the last three Tests, a ploy we may see used more often, especially now that Stuart MacGill has had some Test success with his leg-spin. The only problem with resting Warne could be convincing the player himself it is a good idea to miss the odd game.

The best spinner in the world told me it was "frustrating" watching his mates play and the main source of annoyance could well be the victims that are going begging while he is inactive. However, that could change quickly, as history suggests that rather than tandem leg-spinners helping the batsmen become accustomed to that style of bowling, they can complement each other and demoralise the opposition. Two of Australia's greatest 'leggies' did exactly that to England in 1934, when Bill O'Reilly took 28 and Clarrie Grimmett 25 wickets as they averaged better than 10 per Test between them.

Originally Warne was sceptical about the idea of bowling in tandem with MacGill. "I was apprehensive, because I'd never done it before and I thought batsmen might get used to us," he said. Now he sees no reason why both he and MacGill should not be selected "if we are the two best spinners". Indeed, in some ways MacGill's success has been the perfect spur to Warne to work harder to miss as few Tests as possible.

In easing his way back into the game, Warne first started exercising, then returned to golf about a month ago and a couple of weeks later began rolling his arm over. His physio recommended using a tennis ball as the little bit of 'give' results in less strain on the shoulder. This week he captained Victoria in a one-day trial game, but only played as a batsman. From there it is a gradual build-up in the nets before returning to action proper.

Throughout our conversation I noticed a common theme. "I just have to be patient," Warne kept saying, "and that's something I'm not good at, on or off the field." Therein could lie an unexpected bonus for the blond bamboozler. If the period on the sidelines renders him more patient and he retains his aggressive approach, the combination will ensure he remains a dangerous foe. It could well be Warne will return to Test cricket a better bowler mentally, while slightly diminished physically.

What are the chances Warne will make a successful return? Ever since I saw what Dennis Lillee did after being out for 12 months with a serious back injury, I have been an advocate of the adage "never write off a champion". Former Australian captain Richie Benaud (who knows a lot about leg-spin bowling and something about shoulder injuries) said recently: "There's no reason why Warne can't come back if the operation has gone successfully and he could well be brand new."

That is probably not the news the England batsmen want to hear.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)