'Warne nearly made Bradman's XI'

Don Bradman was asked twice if he had changed his mind about finding a place for Shane Warne in his best XI, author Roland Perry said on Thursday.

Perry wrote a new book released in Australia this week entitled 'Bradman's Best' which includes Bradman's all-time best team.

In a telephone interview with Reuters, Perry also revealed Bradman's choice for 12th man came down to Hammond and former West Indies captain Viv Richards.

Richards was named by Wisden in 2000 as one of the five cricketers of the century alongside Bradman, Gary Sobers, England's Jack Hobbs and Warne.

"The breaking point was he said Hammond was a better bowler, a top medium-pace bowler," Perry said.

Bradman died in February, aged 92. Perry said he received the team from The Don in 1998.

It contained two leg-spinners, Bill O'Reilly (144 wickets at 22.59 in 27 tests) and Clarrie Grimmett (216 at 24.21 in 37 matches) while Warne (395 at 25.95 in 90) missed out.

"I had a long discussion with Don about Warne in 1995," Perry said. "Don bracketed him with O'Reilly and Grimmett.

"He said Warne was the best entertainer in cricket and the most important character to come into cricket in 40 years, bringing people through the gate after the West Indies sides of the 1980s had slowed down the game with six-minute overs."

Warne, 32 next month, is poised to become the first Australian and only the sixth bowler in Test history to take 400 wickets.

Australia lead their five-Test Ashes series against England 3-0. The fourth Test starts on Thursday at Headingley.

Perry said Bradman had been concerned that batting had become purely a back-foot game in the 1980s when a batsman had to hook or cut if he wanted to score a boundary, but Warne changed all that.

"To him Warne was a very important draw card. It was a very close thing (Warne missing selection)," Perry said.

"I checked with Don in 1999 and he hadn't changed his mind. I checked again in 2000 and the team remained the same.

"It was very hard to separate (the three spinners) but O'Reilly would always get in ahead of the other two."

BEST EVER

Australian Associated Press quoted Warne as saying it would have been nice to be in Bradman's team.

"Sir Donald was the best batsman ever so whatever he thinks is best, probably is the best," Warne said.

"Anybody can pick a team through their eyes for whatever reasons they have but obviously with Sir Donald having his team, it would have been very nice to be in there."

Perry said the biggest talking point regarding the team this week had been the selection of wicketkeeper Don Tallon.

Tallon had a Test batting average of just 17 but made nine centuries in interstate cricket for Queensland.

He was regarded as arguably the finest gloveman of all time and was part of Bradman's 1948 "Invincibles" Ashes-winning side.

Perry admitted he had selected Australia's Ian Healy as wicketkeeper in his own best-ever side.

"I think Don Tallon is the issue and there's a lot of ignorance about Tallon," Perry said.

"He was a great keeper. Don would go for the specialists."

Bradman's selection: Barry Richards (South Africa), Arthur Morris (Australia), Bradman (Australia), Sachin Tendulkar (India), Gary Sobers (West Indies), Don Tallon (Australia), Ray Lindwall (Australia), Dennis Lillee (Australia), Alec Bedser (England), Bill O'Reilly (Australia), Clarrie Grimmett (Australia), Wally Hammond (England, 12th man).

Mail Cricket Editor