I think he saw it as a test-of taking what we know and making us re-think. I mentioned this to Gids, and he just muttered the words, ‘trust me, this one intrigues me’. Had Gideon finally sold himself out to the mainstream? Shane Warne…really? I was left in a state of confusion. I was a little concerned that his new subject, Shane Warne, might fail to deliver such an education-he was the most talked about, written about, watched, imagined, imitated, pored over cricketer not only of the modern generation but perhaps since Bradman. He usually informs me of people I did not know existed or describes events I did not notice at the time. When I read anything he has written, I expect to learn something. Gideon is not just a journalist, author or wordsmith, he is a teacher. His interests, as we all know, could hardly be described as ‘mainstream’: he is an old mind in a young body living in a new world-73000 handcrafted pages on the history of the office pure joy in bringing essays to the world of the administrative struggles of the ICC a beautiful book about another Australian leg spinner-this time, unknown and forgotten-Jack Iverson.

When I first heard from Gideon that he was going to write a book about Warne, I was initially surprised. The ‘where were you’ moments that you vividly remember? Elite company man landing on the moon, JFK being shot, the death of Lady Diana, 9/11 and Warnie’s 700th Test wicket. We all do, don’t we? Our imaginations are overrun with Warnisms and stories. That is not to say I don’t feel like I know him. The only thing he required of me each morning was to run him out a coke-in a Gatorade bottle-and three Nurofen, to help cure what seemed like a hangover. As a young cricketer, I was once 13th man at the SCG in the dead rubber of a Test series and surprised he stubbed out his ciggies on the history-laden table that sits in the change room. I have been in a room with him on a dozen occasions, although it has always surprised me that he is the one to come up and say g’day. I have played against him but never faced him.

My own experiences of Warnie, the subject of Gideon’s new book, are limited. Is it too early (or late) to suggest a Cowan/Haigh partnership against Sri Lanka come December 26? Most people like to use the past to predict the future. Somewhat embarrassingly, I had to sadly send three proxies last year to help launch my own book In The Firing Line, as I was whisked off at the last minute to play a tour game against the New Zealanders-the beginning of a path that led indirectly to my opening the batting for Australia on Boxing Day. The following speech was made by Australian Test cricketer Ed Cowan at the launch of Gideon Haigh’s new book, On Warne.Ĭan I just say what a treat it is to finally be welcomed to Como Park? This is actually the second book launch with which I have been associated here but as many of you know, the first one I have actually attended.

Gideon haigh on shane warne