Melbourne, Dec 22 (UNI) Spin wizard Shane Warne has received a pleasing reply to his comments over Cricket Australia (CA) as board confirmed that the former world record-holder would soon be employed as a spin bowling coach.
''We're hoping to have an announcement within the week,'' CA public affairs manager Peter Young said yesterday.
''We're very excited about the prospect of what he could do in terms of young spin bowlers and captains because a captain can make or break a slow bowler. We're very keen to get that formalised and announced as soon as possible,'' he said.
Earlier Warne had described CA as arrogant and claimed that former Australian coach John Buchanan was a ''goose'' who lived in ''pixieland''.
Young confirmed that Buchanan, who has been retained as a coaching ambassador to work with coaches around the country will work with Warne and CA had no problems with the prospect of employing them both.
''John Buchanan is statistically the most successful coach in the history of cricket,'' Young said. ''Shane Warne is without doubt the best slow bowler who has ever taken the field. To have their expertise available to Australian cricket is downright exciting.'' He said Warne has always been an outspoken individual and he is free to present his views. ''Shane is a free agent. He expresses strong views and Cricket Australia doesn't always necessarily agree with them.
''We're a big organisation and we're a broad church. Like any organisation or cricket team, you're going to have divergent views from time to time.'' Warne in a wide-ranging commentary had said, ''The only issue I've got with cricket at the moment is that Australian people and administrators and ex-players and ex-coaches, a la John Buchanan, have got to stop the arrogant mindset that Australia is so much better than anybody else.'' UNI