Spin King Warne poised to announce Test retirement

SYDNEY—Australian spin king Shane Warne will announce this week that he is to retire at the end of the current Ashes series, Australia’s Channel Nine has reported.
The television station, which broadcasts cricket in Australia and has used Warne as a commentator in the past, said Wednesday that cricket’s leading wicket taker would hold a press conference Thursday to announce his career is coming to an end.
The 37-year-old is widely regarded as the best bowler ever to play the game, single-handedly reviving the art of leg-spin bowling since his debut in January 1992, and has been almost as well known for his controversial off-field antics.
Warne’s representatives could not immediately be reached for comment on the report of his surprise retirement announcement in the midst of the Ashes series.
Australia’s governing body for the sport Cricket Australia would neither confirm nor deny the report. “There is nothing we can say,” said spokesman Peter Young.
Channel Nine also reported that Australia’s veteran pace spearhead Glenn McGrath would also hang up his boots after the match. But Cricket Australia said it would be up to Warne and McGrath to make any announcements regarding their futures.
“Those two players are the masters of their own destiny and the owners of their own futures and when they announce decisions on their futures is up to them,” Young said.
Warne hinted at retirement after Australia crushed England at Perth’s WACA ground to reclaim the Ashes after last year’s shock loss.
“These are the things you’re going to miss,” he said as the WACA crowd and teammates celebrated the win. “I’m closer to the end than the bloody start.”
Warne has 699 Test wickets and is set to pass the 700 mark before his adoring hometown crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the fourth Test beginning December 26.
The fifth and final Ashes Test will be played in Sydney from January 2.
The legendary spinner was in 2000 named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the century.
McGrath is the third-leading Test wicket taker in history and his loss combined with Warne’s departure would represent the end of a golden era for Australian cricket.
If confirmed, his departure would bring to three the number of Australian stars to retire in the past 10 days after teammate Damien Martyn made a shock retirement from all cricket just prior to the Perth Test.
Many of the highlights in Warne’s 143 Tests have come against traditional rivals England, and on Wednesday England batsman Paul Collingwood said the bowler was still capable of staying on to tour England in 2009.
“He’ll be old but I’m sure he’ll be able to still land a ball,” he said, hailing Warne as the best bowler ever.—Agencies