Shane Wane is the best Australian cricketer after Sir Don Bradman. That is saying hell of a lot, but, fortunately, this is true. I have sent him a message of good wishes on his brave decision to quit the game when he is on the top.
He has done what Vijay Hazare used to say: 'You should retire when people ask you why and not when people say time has come for you to retire.' He has called it a day when on the top of the world. Over 700 wickets in Test cricket and he is still good enough for the next couple of years.
I am sure he must have worked out his deal with some television channel and will appear in his new avatar as commentator and keep his link with the game, as has been done by some other former players.
When he came to India for the first time I had a long chat with him in Bangalore. Let me tell you that the great Shane Warne was afraid of bowling to Sachin Tendulkar. Even before the little master walked out to bat Warne would start having nightmares.
'What do I do Bishan to this guy? The ball simply keeps on disappearing behind the boundary,' he would say.
Even Siddhu had plundered Warne for runs.
I told him that if a great batsman hits you for a straight six you should applaud the shot. There is nothing that you can do about it. Give him a false sense of confidence and he may get out a few balls later trying similar strokes.
Warne's biggest haul of 200 Test wickets comes against England, about 150 against South Africa, and rest against the other countries. Indians, by far, have played him very well.
I must confess he is perhaps the finest right arm genuine leg spinner I have ever seen in the game with classical action, good loop and a trajectory. What is more unique about him is that he did it ball after ball.
I do not agree with some claims that he delivered the 'ball of the century'. This means that the other spinners never had a bowl of this kind. When you are playing you are bound to produce a ball on some occasions that is totally unplayable.
To my mind, our [B S] Chandershekhar did many wonders. Once Ken Barrington was playing at Lord's and he was bowled by our Karnataka spinner. For three minutes Barrington looked at the wickets trying to understand how the ball went past his defences. That was the great Chandra; people often wondered how could be bowl so beautifully.
Notwithstanding his controversial sex escapades, which I think should be dealt with separately, Warne's cricketing achievements need to be applauded. I do not think that the Australians would miss him in the World Cup, because they played the last World Cup without him after the doping controversy. He has not played one-day cricket for a long time. Besides, nobody is indispensable in Australian cricket. It is we who make our players indispensable and later on suffer for doing that.
It is possible that some other bowler may pass the 700 Test wickets haul with an unfair action, but I do not bother for such players. Shane Warne will remain the second greatest cricketer born in Australia.
Legendary spinner and former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi spoke with Onkar Singh in New Delhi
