Adam Gilchrist 'doesn't know how Shane Warne functioned' in wild new revelation about cricket icon
Shane Warne was unique in the cricket world and his teammates knew it as well.
Aussie cricket legend Adam Gilchrist has revealed a story about how different the late Shane Warne's personality and charisma was compared to modern day athletes. Warne is remembered as arguably the greatest spinner cricket has ever seen with the enigmatic Australian dominating the sport for 15 years.
He is also remembered for his off-field antics with the legendary spinner attracting headlines for his behaviour and larger-than-life personality. And former teammate Gilchrist has claimed he never understood how he managed to get away with some of his off-field habits and perform the way he did on the pitch.
Gilchrist was asked on Nova Radio about the personalities in the dressing room in modern day cricket. Modern athletes are better media trained and often show less of their personality to avoid being unnecessarily targeted by the public.
This wasn't always the case years ago when big personalities often shone through and were adored. Warne was one of those big personalities. And Gilchrist retold the story about one time when the players were entering a boot camp ahead of a series.
And Warne couldn't help but floor his teammate with a surprise reveal. "Yeah, there’s a bit of a commentary around that, and it's sort of in the public, you hear that a little bit. I mean, we're not really comparing apples and apples if we're talking about any player compared to Warnie, are we?" Gilchrist said on Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren.
"When we're talking about personalities and well, I remember we were standing lined up, you make reference to the Winnie Blues. We were lined up at a boot camp to have a big week long, physical and psychological, tough boot camp where we were going to get smashed and tested, you know, mentally and all that.
"And at the start the doctor asked us all to put out dependent medication. Anyone who had asthma put your medication out. Put your tablets out if you got bad back. Warnie laid down eight packets of Benson & Hedges. So that's the character we're talking about."
Adam Gilchrist praises Shane Warne's unique ability
But Gilchrist said he looks back on those days playing with the likes of Warne and Glenn McGrath with such fondness. And admits his greatest memories on the field was being behind the stumps for two legends.
"He was just, you know, a wonder of nature. You just didn't know how he functioned but he did. And once he was out on the cricket field, that was his domain, and it was theatre," he added.
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"It was the best thing I did in cricket was to wicket keep Shane Warne, and then at the end of the over, I'd go up the other end, Glenn McGrath would bowl an over, and I have Shane Warne standing next to me talking…it was just quality."
While Warne may have been a character off the field, he was undoubtedly one of the best and most iconic players the game has ever seen. Warne revitalised the game of leg spin around the world and encouraged a new generation to take up the fading art.
Warne took 708 wickets in 145 Test matches for Australia. He died aged 52 in 2022 during a holiday in Thailand.
