SHANE Warne is an over-rated cricketer who “hardly ever bowled a good googly”, according to Sir Garry Sobers.
The West Indies legend makes his staggering claim in a book released today in England called ‘In A League Of Their Own’.
In the book, a collation of cricketing greats’ all-time top XI, Sobers used his foreword to argue that 1950s Indian bowler Subhash Gupte is the finest leg-spinner of all.
“Someone who is called great from today’s game is Shane Warne, but I have got my reservations about Shane,” Sobers wrote.
“I think he is a great bowler, but I’m not sure how well he compares with spinners overall. I think people get carried away with this man’s ability as he hardly ever bowled a good googly.
“To me, Shane Warne is a great turner of the ball.
“I like his aggressive attitude, I love the way he attacks batsmen and I give him one hundred per cent for that, as not enough spinners bowl with that approach, but in my estimation Subhash Gupte was a better leg-spinner.”
Gupte played 36 Tests for India in the 1950s and took 149 wickets at 29.55. He died eight years ago but Sobers, for one, hasn’t forgotten him.
Sobers also had a dig at former England opener and block artist Geoff Boycott. “Geoffrey was a great player in his own style,” he wrote.
“He played within his limitations and didn’t take too many chances with good balls or even half-good balls. Great players have to take good balls and turn them into bad balls, but Geoff never seemed to be able to do that.”
Legendary umpire Dickie Bird, who also contributed to the book, was more concerned with the disappearance of roguish characters.
“Not as many players nowadays look as though they enjoy their cricket, like in previous eras,” he wrote.
“I think the influx of vast amounts of money coming into the game is largely responsible for the significant loss of characters and entertainers that cricket was once able to boast plenty of.”(Daily Telegraph)