IPL 2022: Joining as Delhi Capitals assistant coach, Shane Watson can’t help but think about former teammate Shane Warne. The legendary spinner passed on March 4 after suffering from cardiac arrest. Warne was instrumental in rebuilding Watson’s career through IPL at Rajasthan Royals. Watson hailed Warne as an incredible leader. Follow IPL 2022 updates on Insidesport.in
“The thing that stood out for me was that Rajasthan were written off because we didn’t have big names as compared to the other teams. The advantage that Rajasthan had was the ability to pull the team together very quickly,” Shane Watson said.
IPL 2022: Shane Watson hails ‘incredible leader’ Shane Warne, says ‘Bringing out best out of players came to him naturally’
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“The incredible skill that Shane Warne had was seeing what people’s roles were and then tap in to that role. For me, that was why he was an incredible leader because he knew how to tap into a player’s best version,” Watson added.
IPL 2022: Shane Watson hails ‘incredible leader’ Shane Warne, says ‘Bringing out best out of players came to him naturally’
Warne, who is credited with reviving the art of leg-spin bowling and took 708 wickets in 145 Tests in an illustrious career spanning 15 years, died of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand on March 4.
In the inaugural season of IPL in 2008, he led a bunch of youngsters to IPL glory while setting their careers straight. The likes of Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja and a handful domestic stars made their marks in IPL and later went on to star for their national teams.
“He believed within the players, knew their ability set and the place they slot in. For me, that is why Rajasthan did so nicely within the first season. He pulled all these from completely different cultures and completely different phases of their careers and led from the entrance,” Shane Watson said.
IPL 2022: Shane Watson hails ‘incredible leader’ Shane Warne, says ‘Bringing out best out of players came to him naturally’
Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who was also left shocked by the news of Warne’s demise like the rest of the cricket fraternity, shared the memory of the time he had during a session at the MCG with the legend.
“It was an enormous shock. I had a good time with him. It was an enormous honour for me that he referred to as me to the MCG to have that 15-minute session with him through the lunch (break) of the Australia-New Zealand match,” Rashid Khan said.
“I used to be so fortunate, I learnt a lot from him. We had a dialogue on how I could be simpler in a lengthy format. He, fortunately, shared his expertise with me. He shared those key points, the mindset, the skill set,” Rashid added.
IPL 2022: Shane Watson hails ‘incredible leader’ Shane Warne, says ‘Bringing out best out of players came to him naturally’
Family, sports figures and entertainers bid farewell to Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne at a private funeral held in his hometown of Melbourne https://t.co/W2fOoLH1N3 pic.twitter.com/oi1C4W1DLL
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 20, 2022
IPL 2022: Shane Watson hails ‘incredible leader’ Shane Warne, says ‘Bringing out best out of players came to him naturally’
Rashid revealed that Warne suggested him to stick to his “unique” motion and be an extra affected person and work on his consistency.
“Only thing he said that ‘you don’t need to change your speed or action, that is something unique you have, you just need to be consistent, need to be more patient’. Sometimes you won’t get wicket but that is the time you will be tested mentally and also physically. You have to fit for those big games.”
“I was looking forward to having him as head coach and playing with him, spend more time with him. That was a dream. We discussed that. He said hopefully we will be in Hundred ball competition in UK,” Rashid added.
IPL 2022: Shane Watson hails ‘incredible leader’ Shane Warne, says ‘Bringing out best out of players came to him naturally’
Follow IPL 2022 updates on Insidesport.in
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