Warne, Shane Keith

Australian cricketer. A right-arm wrist spin bowler, he became the first player in history to take 600 Test wickets. A key figure in Australia's emergence in the 1990s as the leading side in world cricket, his success also led to a revival in wrist spin, a type of bowling little-used for many years. In 1998 he became the most prolific spin bowler in Test history when he overtook the West Indian off-spinner Lance Gibbs's career total of 309 wickets. He helped Australia win the 1999 World Cup, winning the man of the match award in the final after returning figures of 4–33. He was also the tournament's joint top wicket-taker with 20 wickets. In 1999 he became Australia's leading wicket-taker in One-day internationals, overtaking Craig McDermott's total of 203 wickets. In 2000 he became leading Australian Test wicket-taker when he overtook Dennis Lillee's career total of 355 wickets, and in 2004 he became the leading wicket taker in Test history when he overtook Muttiah Muralitharan's record of 533 wickets.

Career highlights


Test cricket (1992–2007)
appearances: 145; overs: 6,784.1; wickets: 708; runs: 19,995; average: 25.41; best: 8-71 (v. England 1994); batting: runs: 3,154; average: 17.32; catches: 125

Not internationals (1993–2005)
appearances: 194; overs: 1,773.4; wickets: 293; runs: 7,541; average: 25.73; best: 5-33 (v. West Indies 1996); batting: runs: 1,018; average: 13.05; catches: 80

All first-class cricket (1990– )
appearances: 297; overs: 12,370.2; runs: 37,117; wickets: 1,308; average: 26.08; best: 8-71 (v. England 1994); batting: runs: 6,830; average: 19.40; catches: 260

World Cup
1999

Awards


Wisden Cricketer of the Year
1994

Wisden Cricketer of the Century
2000

A product of the renowned Australian cricket academy, he made his Test debut in 1992 against India after only a few first-class appearances for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield. His early performances were unexceptional but in 1993 he took 72 wickets in only 16 Tests including 34 on the tour of England, where conditions are not usually conducive to leg spin bowling. He maintained this phenomenal form in 1994, at the end of which, in only his 31st test, he captured his 150th wicket. In April 2000, he was voted the fourth-greatest cricketer of the 20th century by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, the only current player and the only specialist bowler included in the top five. His batting improved throughout his career and he has scored the most Test runs without having scored a century.