‘Genius does not lie in doing the impossible; but in doing the possible in an impossibly good way.’
Not a bad way to describe Warney, Eh Mate?
Shane Warne was good at doing both the possible and impossible on a cricket field with aplomb.
Shane Warne’s autobiography ‘No Spin’ is replete with his voice which still reverberates in the game and especially in the art of leg spin bowling. Shane Warne’s inner voice finds a beautiful outlet in the lines of his autobiography; a book with no pseudo intellectualism but written in a typically brazen Australian tone.
Of course with the academic presence of Mark Nicholas, the book seldom finds itself wriggled with the superficially didactic tone, a faux pas which makes autobiographies of sporting icons unworthy of genuine appreciation.
The saga of Shane Warne’s meteoric rise from a Melbourne boy who aspired to play ‘Footy’ professionally to arguably the greatest bowler to have played the game is both entertaining and also overwhelming at times.
One of the greatest and possibly sad ironies is the fact that the audiences seldom realize or even have any idea about the pain that a sportsman undergoes en route plying their trade which captivates all.
In case of Shane Warne’ autobiography, the most sentimental passage of writing is the one where there is a touching description of Warne’s battle with excruciating pain and his struggles to get back on the field playing for Australia and bowling with ‘ the feel’ which he describes as the most important ammunition in his bowling arsenal.
Shane Warne has often been described as the ‘best captain Australia never had’. Shane Warne’s autobiography touches upon the exploits with the bat, ball and his captaincy skills.
The latter find enough eulogy when he captained English County side Hampshire and saved them the disgrace of relegation.
One of the lowest points in Warne’s Career was his inability to bamboozle Indian batsmen arguably the best players of spin at least during Warne’s era. His weakness against the much-hyped Indian batting line up began with Warne’s debut Test match and continued throughout his career.
The lines of the book ‘ No Spin’ delves deep into the possible causes and comes up with staggering details about Warne’s unfortunate injuries which coincidentally always clashed with an Indian series and thus he could not weave his magic against the Indian batting line up.
Warne’s love for a colorful and extravagant life has he always been a matter of public scrutiny and moral policing. In his book he deftly avoids presenting the minute details of such adventures yet is honest and upbeat about his need to have a long and exciting evening before stepping on the field and bowling over oppositions.
As a professional athlete, Shane Warne has always left cricketers and pundits awestruck with his immense abilities. His tryst with superstardom has not always been a cake walk.
His struggles with bodily anguish and mental vacuum find an articulate medium of expression through Shane Warne’s autobiography ‘ No Spin’.
So, to sum it up, Shane Warne’s autobiography highlights a story worth to be known and his book worth to be read in order to have a closer look at the life of one of the most gifted and celebrated cricketers of all time.
