Warne recalls Tendulkar sixes from Sharjah

Sharjah: Legendary leg spinner Shane Warne sportingly recalled the days when India’s Sachin Tendulkar thrashed his bowling to score back-to-back centuries in the Coca-Cola Cup in 1998 semi-final and final from inside the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Answering to a query from Gulf News on his memories about Sharjah Cricket Stadium which holds the record for the maximum number of One-dayers in the history of the game, Warne said: “Nearly twenty years ago Sachin hit us to every part, just picking out the stands he wanted to hit. He kept doing it with the quickies and spinners in a semi-final and final. I also have some good memories when we played Pakistan when I got some wickets and we won a Test in a day and a half.”

Tendulkar hit 143 runs in the semi-final and another 134 in the final against Australia with Warne being hit for 39 runs in nine overs in the semi-final and 61 runs off 10 overs in the final. Warne joking then said: “I think I have passed a couple of my deliveries down the road a couple of times.”

Warne also had produced one of his greatest spells in Test cricket here. In the 2002 Test match against Pakistan, he took four wickets each in both the innings to bowl out Pakistan for 59 runs in the first innings and 53 runs in the second innings to give his country an innings and 198 runs victory. “It is wonderful place to play. Commentators, journalists and players like coming to Dubai and playing here over the years. There are great things to do between Test matches. I have wonderful memories of playing here.”

Warne who gave tips to Pakistan leg spinner Yasir Shah on Friday had turned up to help England’s leg spinner Adil Rashid too yesterday and proved that teams does not matter to him and that he is willing to give guidance to any spinner who wants his help. Urging everyone to be patient on Rashid, he said: “He [Rashid] is a wonderful bowler. When anyone first starts their Test career, it takes time to see the best of them. What we’ve seen already from Rashid are some glimpses of magic. Through that five-for in the first Test we’ve already seen what he can do it at this level. It’s about being consistent and that’s going to take time. All of us need to be a little bit patient with him. He needs to be patient, too.”

Warne wants Rashid to handle the burden of expectation tactfully. “We’re playing on spinning pitches and expectations are that he’ll rip them and take five-for straightaway. But, as we all know, when you come into Test cricket, its hard work especially when you’re bowling these [leg-breaks]. You’re going to bowl a bit of rubbish, a few full tosses, some drag-downs. You’re going to get whacked. It’s about how you come back for that second spell and as the match goes on and the condition suit on day five, that’s when you can really come into your own.”.

After being with both the leg spinners Yasir and Adil, Warne feels Yasir is the best. “Watching Yasir yesterday, I think he is the best spinner in the world. I think he has the best leg-break I’ve ever seen. But I’m not comparing Rashid with him. They are completely different bowlers. Rashid can be just as successful. It’s a different style. It doesn’t mean it is not as effective. The one thing you never know about a spinner is how they think about the game. They can have the best tools in the trade but you have to think right, how big is his heart? Is he up for the fight? Is he patient? Does he want the ball in his hand when it is tough? All those things you don’t know about a spin bowler no matter how good you think they are. Yasir looks like he’s got it. Rashid, we’ve seen him bowl some magic in the First Test. So he’s got it. Two wonderful leg-spinners playing in the same series — it’s good to watch.”