‘He made you believe the impossible’: Gideon Haigh on Shane Warne

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We celebrate the 100th episode of the 81allout podcast with an illuminating conversation with Gideon Haigh - the gold standard when it comes to cricket writing.

We could have spoken to Gideon about anything – cricket or otherwise - but we chose to focus on his brilliant book On Warne - a remarkably original take on a remarkably original cricketer. Gideon talks about Warne's ability to "make the unscripted look scripted" and why he was such a joy to write about.

(PSA: We will be donating all your contributions till the end of June towards Covid relief in India. We plan to match your contributions upto $800)

Talking Points:

• Writing a book in 31 days
• Warne coming along at the 'perfect time'
• Would a cricketer like Warne have succeeded in the 1970s?
• The SSC Test in 1993 - when Warne found himself in international cricket
• The ball of the century - and the perfection of timing
• The theatre of Warne - and the art of manipulating everyone around him
• Warne and the media - a never-ending saga
• The post-retirement phase in Warne's life
• How the Warne legend is likely to endure

Participants:

Gideon Haigh

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Related:

The man who became legspin - Gideon Haigh - ESPNcricinfo; The ball of the century - cricket.com.au; 'We dominated for over four days but lost in half a session' - ESPNcricinfo on the 1993 Sri Lanka v Australia Test in Colombo; Hits and myths of Shane Warne, a suburban hero - Gideon Haigh - The Australian; Legspin masterclass with Shane Warne - Cricket Masterclass video; 281-degree panorama - Shane Warne on VVS Laxman's 281 in Kolkata in 2001 - The Cricket Monthly

Books discussed:

No Spin: My Autobiography - Shane Warne; The Vincibles - Gideon Haigh; Mystery Spinner: The story of Jack Iverson - Gideon Haigh; Stroke of Genius: Victor Trumper and the Shot that Changed Cricket - Gideon Haigh; Crossing the Line - Gideon Haigh