The Magician: Shane Warne

'Cricket is at first and foremost a dramatic spectacle. It belongs
with the theatre, ballet, opera and the dance' - CLR James

CLR James never got a chance to see Warne bowl, if he had, he would have proclaimed Warne's bowling to be the greatest argument clincher for his statement.

The beauty of warne's bowling doesn’t just lie in the end result- the ball spinning- but it starts right from the start. Shane Warne walking in to bowl is a sight in itself. First, the wait at the top of the walk, the theatrical glare at the batsman, then the ball is transferred to the left palm with the beautiful flick of the right wrist that only a leg spinner can produce. The left hand discreetly transfers the ball to the right as that slow beautiful walk begins; eyes gleaming in anticipation of the illusion to be weaved. The two hands join again, the left over the right, underneath which, the grip on the ball is finalised and held firmly. The left hand now withdraws away; the walk turns into a slow jog, and then, that small hop as the right hand draws a circular arc ending up with elbow locked in a V shape. The left hand also by this time has made a V; the right feet almost parallel to the crease, then the left hand comes out, forward and down like drawing down a curtain, while the right goes down and up in a circular motion; the whole weight is now shifted to the left foot, and the ball is released with a rip- a final flick of the powerful right wrist- launching the ball in its orbit.

The ball whirs in the air, floats, swerves, loops, dips, grips and if it is Warne's day, it would land outside the leg stump and the batsman playing his part in the great drama would turn towards it, the ball would then spin sharply, squaring up the batsman, beating his frantic wave of the bat, and triumphantly kiss the off stump.

What a beauty! If Abdul Qadir's run in was magical- with his arms going through a myriad different & beautiful motions- Warne's walk is equally memorable. Roberto Baggio's walk after scoring 'The goal' features in a commercial but that was the end result of an achievement, a guilt washed away, a sad memory burnt, a redemption song, but Shane Warne's walk is in anticipation of a triumph, of a dream looked forward to, a painting about to be sketched; a work of a true artist. Unlike Baggio's -no doubt, a wonderful moment- solitary walk in a lifetime, the beauty occurs each and every time Warne goes in to bowl.