My News

31.12.06

The Times - I plan to leave this game the same way that I came in - loving every minute

Published by Shane Warne

“Swampy” Marsh turned to me and said: “Mate, this is what playing for Australia is all about.” Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that 15 years later I would still be in the business. It has been a wonderful, rollercoaster ride. And now, as somebody used to sing, the end is near.

Times have changed since the early 1990s. Our new year functions these days are for the kids as much as the adults. Where there were beers, you now see trays of fairy cakes and sausage rolls. When the preliminary fireworks are over, we try to convince them that the show’s over so we can put them to bed.

Today, it’s back to the cricket. The possibility of a 5-0 whitewash has become a real focus for the team. So how will we play it? When your opponents are down, you have to drive in the advantage early. We will be trying to make a positive start, to suffocate England on the first day so they start to think: “Here we go again.”

I think that 4-0 is a fair reflection of the series so far. England have had their moments in all of the games. They scored 370 in the second innings in Brisbane and then 551 for six in the first at Adelaide. They knocked us over for 244 in Perth and had us five for 84 in Melbourne. But they have never actually nailed us.

It annoys me to read and listen to people being so harsh about England when they ought to be giving us credit for knocking them back. We have had to play really well to set up the scoreline. I don’t like comparing teams from different eras, but this is a very good Australia side.

In the 2005 Ashes series, we were the ones who made mistakes at crucial moments.

England deserved to win, as I’ve said about five million times. This time it has been the opposite way around. But every error they have made has been forced by us. Some of those balls from Stuart Clark in Melbourne would have been too good for anybody.

Maybe people expected too much from England. Perhaps they thought that Kevin Pietersen would score brilliant hundreds every time, Freddie Flintoff would bash the ball out of our grounds, Andrew Strauss would hit lots of runs at the top of the order and the bowlers would knock us over with the same plans.

But conditions are different in Australia and we have adapted better. We knew how their batsmen would play and we have planned for them. I think that England have gone for the same plans, thinking that what worked in 2005 would work this time.

Meanwhile, we have moved on.

As for England’s leaked bowling plans, I’d say two things. First, whatever you plan, you then have to execute. Secondly, you still have to think on your feet. If they think I’m weak against the short ball, then fine. But does that mean they should keep banging it in halfway down on a seaming pitch?

When I sit back in a week or so and reflect on my career, I’ll have an amazing journey to think about. I haven’t had a chance yet to do that. Everything has happened so quickly. In fact, it was only a couple of days ago that I finally found the word I had been looking for to describe my emotions since I said I would retire: overwhelming.

I have been overwhelmed by the personal messages of support from people in all walks of life. Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, my two greatest opponents, have been in touch, along with John Howard and Russell Crowe. I’ve also had hundreds of notes from people I don’t know but who say they have enjoyed watching me play cricket. Thank you.

Melbourne was just incredible. To take my 700th wicket, then bag a five-fer on the first day, score a quick 40, hold a couple of catches and then be named man of the match…it couldn’t have been better. I can’t think that Sydney will live up to that. Anyway, this is Glenn McGrath’s home farewell. He deserves the stage.

McGrath has been an absolute champion. In fact, the biggest compliment I could ever pay to Clark is that he looks ready to step into his shoes. And wasn’t it Glenn who first predicted a 5-0 win? There’ll be no complacency on our part, but for the first time in his life the big fellow might be right. 

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