My News
20.02.12
Twitter Q&A 2
1. My favourite cricket ground:
I have been very lucky over the last 20 odd years to have played at some amazing grounds around the world.
A few stand out though for different reasons, beauty, intensity, size, atmosphere, success (both personal and team) or for its history.
Every ground that you play test cricket at has a uniqueness about it, these are a few that stand out and have a special place in my heart.
Newlands Capetown - (Just its beauty with Table Mountain in the background and the respect shown and the understanding of the game from the fans, also my 100th test match).
Adelaide Oval - (stunning beauty, old scoreboard & great memories of time spent in the nets with the late Terry Jenner working hard on the art of leg spin together, who is greatly missed by all).
Lords UK (winning the 1999 world cup and never losing a test match there, its amazing history along with the walk from the dressing room to the ground through the long room is just special).
Eden Gardens India - (its noise, size, passion from fans and a remarkable partnership from Dravid/Laxman along with Steve Waugh’s extraordinary decision to enforce the follow on)
Rose Bowl UK - (a wonderful new ground for Hampshire, great fans and became my second home, I loved playing there)
Junction Oval Aust (My club team St Kilda’s home ground and were I grew up playing),
Kensington Oval Barbados - (Holiday feel about this oval, but an intensity and a very vocal crowd with a sense of fun)
Jaipur India – (Home of the royals during the IPL, being part of an exciting new concept and winning the first year was one of my most proudest moments in cricket, lovely supportive crowd too)
SCG Sydney – (Making my debut for Australia and walking off playing my last game for Australia. Also a very knowledgably crowd too that understood the game and especially spin bowling)
But my favourite ground would have to be the MCG in Melbourne. I have so many wonderful memories as a child and as a player. The 80,000 + people that made so much noise in support of the Australian team every time we played there and always got behind me was an amazing experience, 2 personal highlights that stood out - were the Boxing Day Test in 1992 where I took 7/52 to help beat the mighty West Indians and a hatrick against our friendly Poms in an Ashes test.
I remember a funny incident though that stands out, it was when Alec Stewart called me out of the dressing room into the middle of the ground as play came to a halt to ask Bay 13 to stop throwing things at some of his players. I grabbed a helmet and strode towards Bay 13 with a fear of being pelted too, but to my relief the crowd started to chant my name and obeyed my request to stop throwing things, the game moved on which we won and to this day I still smile about walking onto the G and asking 80,000 people to stop throwing things and they did !!!!!
2. Favourite cricket tour
Touring for 20 odd years has meant I have been involved with some wonderful groups of people and been on some fun tours.
The 2 that stand out though are the 1993 Ashes Tour and the 1994 tour to South Africa.
The reasons are the same, we had a group of guys that did everything together, thought about each other, but above all just wanted to hang together at all times.
The camaraderie that we all built up as a unit was something very special. The bus travel included, guitar playing, wrestles after a few drinks, hours and hours of cards, Merv telling silly but funny jokes and we just had fun.
I think being my first ashes tour also meant it was exciting, I remember Merv saying to me when I asked him what an ashes tour was like he responded with the following…
“A beer company sponsors us, the test matches have rest days, the poms are crap and we all get around in a bus and have fun” I thought sounds good!!!!!
3. Career highlight
This is a tough one as I have been lucky to have so many on a personal level and as a team.
But my highlight would have to be walking out onto the SCG for the first time representing Australia, looking up at the scoreboard and it said….
“Congratulations Shane Warne on being the 350th test cricketer for Australia”
At that moment I realized how lucky I was to represent Australia and also how few people have had the honour.
4. Favourite Indian dish
I was always challenged by the Indian food as my diet has always, shall we say been limited, but over the last few years and spending more time in India through the IPL and been forced fed by my fiancée (without the bib) I have come to love chicken tikka masala.
5. Best current umpire
Personally, I didn’t judge an umpire on purely decision making, I think it should be based on a combination of things - communication skills, demeanor and rapport with the players along with a sense of humour and fun, its such a tough job and we are all very quick to jump on them.
The men in white that stood out for me in my time were - David Shepard, Dickie Bird, Simon Tauffell, Neil (ghost) Mallendar, Peter Willy and Steve Bucknor.
The best current international umpire I believe is Ian ‘”Gunner “ Gould
Hope you enjoyed the Q&A 2 this week as much as last week; look forward to your feedback via twitter.
Thanks again for all your questions, keep them coming this week.
Keep spinning
Shane
My twitter is @warne888
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