End Of An Era

I've always enjoyed watching cricket, especially Australian coverage since it's their national sport. The team, as cocky as they are, are full of class players, some of them with legendary status. They back up their arrogrance where it matters the most, in their performances and consistently winning against other Test Cricket nations.

And during the Ashes series in Australia, when Australia won back the prized urn after the third test, Shane Warne announced his retirement from cricket. He chose to retire on top; with a record 708 test wickets, and a 5-0 Ashes whitewash. Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer also chose to retire on top, with McGrath grabbing 563 test wickets, the most wickets by any fast bowler, and Langer forming a formidable opening partnership, which set the foundations for a big Australian innings.

While Australia have the depth to replace Langer and McGrath easily in the short term, unfortunately for Australia, and the cricketing world, they don't have anyone in the immediate future to replace the likes of Shane Warne.

Warne was a one-of-a-kind cricketer. His impeccable control of flight, turn and variation made the best batsmen look stupid. He was aggressive, psychological, intelligent, imposing and wily. His ability to impose his will on the batsmen through guile, variation and some sledging, made him the best cricketer of our time.

He's had it all; no one else has achieved as much as him. He bowled the 'ball of the century', claimed a test hat-trick, the first to get 700 test wickets, won the World Cup for Australia in 1999, been dropped from the test team (only once), came out of one-day international retirement to play a charity match for the Asian Tsunami appeal, and grabs wickets at the most crucial of times. The only things that have eluded him have been a maiden test century and the Australian captaincy.

His life was likened to a Hollywood movie. While watching him play cricket brought all the excitment of a Hollywood movie, so was watching his private life. There was headlines, many women, a bookmaker, injuries, operations, fat problems, diet pills, more women, lewd text messages, group sex stories, lost contracts, and a very public divorce. The script writers had written one of the best scripts ever.

There will never be a more larger-than-life person and exciting cricketer than Shane Warne. His shoes will be very hard, if not impossible, to fill in the cricketing world, and the headlines won't be buzzing as much now that he is gone. Cricket was just that much better when he was playing. Every time he held the ball he made cricket more alluring and compelling. His bowling was simple, effective, and lovely to look at.

Australia will perhaps continue to dominate without him, but watching them will never be the same again. The world of cricket will be much poorer as a result of his going.