@Reboot was in touch with Nicky’s family at one stage. I hope they’re all doing ok these days.
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Same here!
Getting weird bro…
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Before bed I’ve decided to watch one of his most extraordinary games and my favourite game of cricket.
World Cup semi 99
0/43 after 10 chasing 213.
Enter the king
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This is gonna take time to sink in. I really feel for his family.
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What a win. His comments on that game was that he hadn’t been ripping them in the World Cup after coming back from shoulder surgery. However at the start of that spell and with the game slipping away he told himself to stop been soft and give it a rip. Thank god he did!
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Ian Healy said 1993-96 were his best years. Before any of the surgeries, he rarely bowled a bad delivery. He could spin it big, bowl the flipper at will, great control. Had the finger and then shoulder surgeries. Pretty sure there was a thumb surgery as well which affected his ability to bowl the flipper. From 1999-2002 they were the years where he battled injury the most, got famously dropped from the final Test of the tour of the West Indies in ‘99 (something he never forgave Steve Waugh for), but managed to drag himself up from that disappointment and bowl us to victory in the World Cup that year. From a statistical viewpoint 2004-2006 were his best years in terms of wickets taken, when he was well and truly in the veteran class. Didn’t spin the leg break as much, rarely bowled the flipper or wrong’un. But he worked on other variations, played the mind games with batsmen and was still as effective as ever as a match winner. Even to the end he still was a great bowler. Most players fade off and the performances wane. Warne went out still a force.
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Watched a flipper video CA put out today.
What a weapon that was. As you said, he was extraordinary pre shoulder op
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The amount of force that goes through the shoulder, for Warne that was like the back stress fractures that forced Dennis Lillee to have to remodel his action. He didn’t come back at the same fearsome pace, but he was fitter, stronger and a better bowler who was the master of his craft. Warnie didn’t really take too much notice of fitness until towards the end of his career and was arguably fitter after he finished the game for a while, but he had to adjust to his physical limitations due to surgery and adapt. The slider out the front of the hand became his new flipper. He relied on angles and where along the crease he bowled from to change how far he spun the ball.
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Didn’t Healy sort of retire around then?
People also haven’t mentioned his slipping much. Best second slip Australia’s ever had.
But to be fair I can’t remember the others.
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Healy’s last test was 1999. Gilly took the gloves a few years earlier in the ODI team.
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“Bowling Shane”
Fairybread was close I think
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There are more than a few broken hearts in India you’d imagine. His friendship with Sachin is legendary but beyond that he did so much for unknown players in the first couple of IPL seasons. Always giving them props on TV, spending heaps of extra time with them etc.
Despite his known weaknesses he seemed by all accounts a gem of a human. Real. Authentic. Empathetic.
What a loss.
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Healy retired in 1999.
Mark Waugh was a far better second slip. Warne was good, but Waugh was exceptional
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Warne was a first slip, took over the position when Mark Taylor retired. Mark Waugh was 2nd. Definitely Waugh was the best slipper I’ve seen. Warne was very good though.
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Yeah Warne went from 3rd to 1st when Tubby retired.
Mark Waugh at 2nd was the best slipper I ever saw too.
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With respect, many did not see them as weaknesses; all part of the man. Never had the pleasure of meeting him, but Mrs Fox did during an ad campaign for Nicorette. She recalls him as charming, happy and easy to work with.
Best cricketer I ever watched, and in India he was totally revered.
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Something to do with the contrast between his life as a cricketer and his personal life?
As a cricketer, immense discipline, maturity, leadership, team player, outside of that structure, at times feral as an individual - he was the first to admit it.
Not feral at all, just a free spirit !!
It feels odd that we’re kind of celebrating his career in a similar way to when he retired and thst part of it is sort of soothing until you jolt yourself back to reality and know that hes gone.
One thing i never reaised at the time was that the feeling i got when Warne retired was the sameas when Hird retired: that feeling that id lived through the entire career of someone truly remarkable, and never truly appreciated the gravity of it. Sadly today im struck with the same regret.
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