Shane Warne was the most glamorous and, arguably, the best cricketer in the world for over ten years. He won a generation of followers by showing the fun to be had in bamboozling opponents. From the so-called 'ball of the century' that bowled Mike Gatting in 1993, to his single-handed defiance against England in the 2005 Ashes series and his key role in the 2006/7 whitewash, even those who aren't cricket fans have fallen under his magical spell. He is an enigma, a showman and a genius, but he is also a very human character with human frailties. This fascinating and well-researched biography draws on interviews with Warne and many of his teammates and opponents. On the heels of his retirement from test cricket with a record of 706 victims to his name, this unique retrospective tells, for the first time, the whole story behind cricket's most flawed genius.
“In the first chapter of his outstanding biography, Simon Wilde imagines himself as a young batsman, belatedly called upon to play in the New Year Test in Sydney … it is a daring conceit, and in less skillful hands it could have proved embarrassing. But Wilde brings it off quite superbly”
Patrick Collins, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack
“Gripping … audacious … the best cricket writing you will come across this year”
Daily Telegraph
“Simon Wilde does an excellent job in analyzing what makes Warne tick as a cricketer and as a man”
The Wisden Cricketer