REMEMBERING WARNIE

A few years ago MAXIM cover girl and TV presenter Laura Csortan (pictured, right) caught up with her good mate Shane Warne to talk cricket, dating, women, hangovers and lighting his bedroom candles. As the world farewells Australia’s greatest spin bowler, we pay tribute to him with this interview throwback and to remember the kind of top-shelf bloke he truly was. RIP legend...

- Laura Csortan

OK, Shane, let’s get the cricket talk out of the way first. What is your greatest Ashes memory?

Beating England 5-0 in Australia in 2006-07. My last ever series playing international cricket and to beat the old enemy in a whitewash, and pull their pants down, was a lot of fun. Individually, my favourite highlight was bowling the Mike Gatting delivery in 1993, which was a bloody long time ago now! To do that in a first Ashes tour, first ball in England in a first Ashes Test, was pretty cool.

Did you always want to be a professional sports star?

I actually always wanted to be a professional [AFL] footballer and had three years at St Kilda Football Club. Unfortunately, they released me in 1988 so I had a year off, went to England in 1999, and basically got back and played cricket for Australia 18 months later. So, cricket sort of found me.

And, obviously, you learnt to love it?

It actually bored me in the summer. I just wanted to be down the beach with my friends but I played because my friends did. Over time I was very lucky to get the opportunity to play cricket — I don’t take that honour for granted, I was very privileged. Then I got a taste of playing international cricket and I was very determined to become the best version of myself and the best cricketer I could be. I like to think I repaid the faith the selectors showed in me at such a young age. I was 21 or 22 and only really played a couple of state games for Victoria before playing for Australia.

Who was your biggest inspiration at the time?