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Journalism of Courage
In Spun Out, an unauthorised biography of Shane Warne that came out in 2006, Paul Berry describes the spin wizard8217;s life as 8216;a fascinating and unflinching portrait of a sportsman with an extraordinary God-given talent, of a magician who mesmerises opponents, of a kid who won8217;t grow up, of a man whose personal life teeters between tragedy and farce.8217;
Had Berry waited another two years, the Indian Premier League, perhaps, may have allowed him to add that the bowler8217;s story is also that of an inimitable entertainer who knows first-hand what it takes to have a nation of a billion cricket fanatics spellbound with a dash of cricket and dollops of attitude.
Gushing over success
Cricket fans across the country can8217;t stop gushing over what Warne8217;s achieved with a bunch of otherwise nondescript players. 8216;The best captain that Australia never had8217;, 8216;Indian IPL Idol8217;, 8216;Warne8217;s recipe to success8217; are some of the headlines he8217;s made, and the success story of Rajasthan has, quite literally, shot him to fame like never before.
In such a state of extreme fanaticism, why would Warne like to go back from India?
On Sunday, the IPL will get over but Warne doesn8217;t seem to be in the least bit of a hurry to go home. 8220;Well, I8217;m not interested in coaching India 8212; Gary Kirsten is an excellent guy and will do a fine job. I8217;m interested in something like having a spin academy. India is rich in spin talent and there8217;s a lot that I can contribute.8221;
In fact, if Warne was looking for an opportunity to begin, calling off for once his affair with English cricket, the fame that Rajasthan8217;s success has given him works in his favour.
To match it are Warne8217;s well-versed bytes circulating in the media, on the fans here, the cricket, the hidden talent and Tendulkar. 8220;I like coming here, Tendulkar is a very good friend and the best batsman I8217;ve bowled to, the IPL is the best thing to happen to Indian cricket, fans here are adorable.
8220;I like talking to people, I can understand people better and that8217;s one big reason why I8217;ve been successful with the Rajasthan team,8221; he says.
It8217;s no secret that cricketers find the sub-continent most luring for post-retirement career options. Now, with the IPL making the world sit up and take notice again, there8217;s every chance the leggie might consider extending his visa.
