Warne Confirms Retirement (SMH 21/12/06)

In announcing today that he would step down from international and domestic cricket, Warne made special mention of his personal domination over England, noting that he had been involved in eight Ashes series and had only once been in a losing side.

''I probably would have retired at the end of the 2005 Ashes series if we had have won and it wasn't to be,'' he told a packed press conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Warne said he revealed his intentions to captain and close friend Ricky Ponting after Australia recaptured the urn in Perth last week.

He said Ponting was somewhat surprised by his decision but wanted to ensure that he was retiring for the right reasons.

'A wonderful ride'

''It's about knowing the right time and I like to go out on top.

''I think I'm going out on my terms, I'd like to think I've earnt that right, to go out on my terms.

''But it's a day of celebration, celebrating a wonderful ride.''

Cricket's greatest ever wicket-taker, Warne will farewell his army of hometown Melbourne fans at the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, where he is set to break the magic 700 mark.

The 37-year-old, who has played 143 Tests, is the only current player to be included in Wisden's top-five cricketers of the 20th century.

Dressed in a suit and looking calm, composed and content, the leg-spinner said he was a "very happy man".

When asked if could think of any circumstances under which he would consider a comeback, he replied with an emphatic: "No."

Warne said he had consulted his ex-wife, Simone Callahan, about his decision.

"She's been my rock," he said. "She's been an outstanding support for me."

He fuelled speculation about whether they would reunite, saying: "Who knows what the future holds there?

"She's been my best friend for a long period of time.

"We still live together, even though we're divorced," he said, chuckling as he described their unusual living situation.

He referred to his cricketing career as a phenomenal journey.

"My life has been unbelievable to be honest.

"I don't think I could have written the script any better.''

'My time is now'

He said he was certain it was the right time for him to step down.

"A lot of people said 'You'll know when your time's up, you'll know when your time's right'.

"I sort of doubted that, I didn't really understand what they meant.

"I sit here in front of you today and I know exactly what they mean.

"My time is now and I couldn't have asked for things to go any better.''

He said it was ideal to play his second-last Test in Melbourne in front of his home crowd and family and friends.

Perfect ending

Finishing in Sydney, where his Test career began against India in January 1992, would provide the perfect end.

"It's still my proudest moment playing my first Test match, an amazing feeling,'' Warne said.

"To have an opportunity to walk off in Sydney where it all began a long time ago I think is a great opportunity and something to celebrate."

He said the job wasn't done yet, with two Tests left to go.

"We want to come out in Melbourne and win the Test match."

He admitted he would miss the sport, which was a hobby as well as a career.

"I'll miss playing cricket with Victoria. I've been playing with Victoria for 17 years. I'll miss playing club cricket with St Kilda."

He said he had yet to decide what he would do after his retirement.

"The next half of my life will be exciting. Who knows what the future holds?

"I know it'll be spending more time with my children... I'm looking forward to that side of things.

"My focus is these next two matches. I'll sit down and have a few quiet beers and a few smokes and I'll figure out what the future holds."

Shane Warne

A true legend

Understatement, the greatest cricketer to ever live, the true captain of the Australian cricket team, the greatest Victorian to ever be a Victorian.

In the words of a wise man...

Gone YES! Gone, yes Australia have won! Got him yes! Piss off, your out! SHANE WARNE. He's a genius, he's a living legend, the greatest that's ever been. I'm sorry Sir Donald, i'm sorry Big Merv but Warnies the man, THE icon of the game. And if his team mates had any fucken respect they'd be lifting him up on their shoulders and lifting him off the ground here.

Good riddens to the wife cheater, drug taker who blamed it on mum, sms stalker and whatever else will come out.

Not long before Mulli overtakes him.

sta tetia mas good bye malaka warney
heard he was looking at doing porn movies now

Warney is a champion, a real true blue Aussie icon.

I have never seen someone who can spin the ball as much as Warne, his first ball Ashes delivery to Mike Gatting was just pure magic. The way he bamboozeled him was nothing short of amazing and Gatting's reaction was priceless.

Warne single-handedly revived the dying art of Leg Spin as well as Spin bowlers with the 1970's and 1980's dominated by ruthless paceman such as Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner etc

Warne is a true champion in my eyes, he always kept taking wickets, he won all their was to win in Cricket and a great testament to this is being named as the Fourth member of Wisden's best five cricketers of the 20th Century and he had only been playing since 1991!

What I admire most about Warne is his longevity, after taking the duretic, many thought it was over but he came back and was as succesful as he ever was even after a year off.

He never lost his passion for the game and despite being involved in heavy scandals, it never impacted him playing cricket, fuck he was even going through a divorce during the last Ashes series and he was still producing the goods.

Many players who are involved in countless scandals, lose their way i.e Hansie Cronje but Warne kept going like nothing happend and in the process became the most succesfull wicket-taker of all time.

Many question that Murali will be far more succesful than Warne but if you had to choose between either, I Know which player I would choose

Warne is the greatest cricketer to ever grace the game and to all you people who didn't see him bowl live, SUCKED IN!

Mcgrath is retiring tooooooooooooooo did ya know!

Didn't know that McGrath was Victorian... OH WAIT HE'S NOT SO WHO GIVES A FUCK

why you so mean ALL the time!

Warneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Warneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Bill Lawry: "And this MCG crowd going ballistic here, and why wouldn't they? And the chant goes up, Warney, Warney, Warney, Warney, Warney, Warney, Warney."

Tony Greig: "Shut the fuck up Bill, shut the fuck up or the bird gets it"

Tony Greig: "And now it's Warne coming in to Daniel Vettori... and it's in the air, it's smashed his glasses, is he gone? Yes he's given him! Steve Waugh takes the catch"

Bill Lawry: "What a fucking hero, should have been a Victorian"

Tony Greig: "Big top edge, the ball smashes into his glasses Bob Hawke style. And pops up into the waiting hands of Steve Waugh. And Vettori in some distress here, blood streaming from his face, well this looks quite nasty. The Australian players have come in as soon as they realised he was in trouble... to congratulate Shane Warne for a marvellous piece of bowling. And what a match this is turning out to be!"

Bill Lawry: "Oh well this is one of the best matches you'll ever see Tony Greig, 90,000 Victorians watching one of the greatest Victorians ever to be a Victorian, Shane Warne, rising to the occasion when he's needed most. He's a cricketing deity, Shane Warne, I worship him and so do thousands of people round the world, not just Victorians. There are some people who believe that his poo is actually pure white, Shane Warne, and has no smell whatsoever and I can believe it."

The 12th Man did the same in one of the earlier albums, I think it was "Still the 12th Man Again" and they had Bill Lawry doing the same "Oh what a great Victorian etc etc" for Simon O'Donnell

now McGrath is going and with Damien Martyn going more retirements will be impending

That was a direct quote from the 12th man

Yeah, I meant the 12th man as himself did the exact same thing just replacing Shane Warne with Simon O'Donnell.