BOWLING spin can be a lonely business. A lot of the time you are the only spinner in the team and on flat pitches early in a game where the ball is not turning much and the batsmen are on top, it needs a lot of determination to keep going. It is not as if you can keep the batsman honest by bowling a bouncer — although I have tried on a few occasions. You just have to remember the old cliché: it only takes one ball to take a wicket.

It never bothers me when a player goes down the track to hit me over the top because I know his luck will run out — eventually. I have even been known to encourage a batsman to have a go so that he gives me that chance. I would prefer someone to go after me rather than just block or kick the balls away. If batters go after me, I feel I have more chance of taking a wicket. It gets frustrating when they don’t try to score.

Fast bowlers are supposed to be the aggressive ones, but I hope I have got that little bit of edge in me as well. I don’t mind making the batsman look foolish when he plays and misses at a ball that goes past the edge. He doesn’t have any sympathy for me when he whacks the ball into the stand, so why should I worry too much when the tables are turned?

Off the field, of course, things are different and I’ve made some good friends in opposition teams. These friendships will last well into retirement and at the end of the day friendship, loyalty and family are the most important things in life, while taking wickets is a bit of fun.

More than anything else I am fortunate to have played for Australia at a great time in the cricketing history of the country. I have played in a top-class side all the way through and lots of players have become very close friends and that’s what the game is about for me.

So when will it end? I’ve been asked that question for roughly eight years, since my shoulder started giving me a few problems. At the time I walked off the field at the Oval with Glenn McGrath last summer, I honestly thought I’d bowled my last ball as an Australia player in England.

Had we won that game and retained the Ashes I might even have decided that was the time to bow out. Now, I’m probably less certain than ever. You can only retire once. When you’ve gone, that is it. The moment I feel I am holding back a young player or starting to let down my buddies is the time to call it a day.

• Muttiah Muralitharan has become a good friend down the years — there is something of a union among spin bowlers. I have never thought of us in a race to finish our careers with more Test wickets, but if other people want to bill it like that then I guess it generates interest in the game. I actually think Murali could end with close to 1,000 simply because he bowls so many overs.

  In 2005 I went over to Sri Lanka for a few days to help to raise funds for the Tsunami Appeal. Murali said that just meeting people and generating publicity would be greatly appreciated. We visited one village near Galle that was run by a man called Kashil who was also Murali’s manager. He ran a wonderful place that educated children and it was very badly damaged. The kids had lost their family, possessions, everything except hope that better times lay ahead. It was unbelievable to see.

  In my time I don’t think one player has been as important to his team as Murali is to Sri Lanka. There will be a big gap when he retires. I have been lucky to play in a side with excellent pace bowlers, so I do not have to carry the attack in the same way.

• I’m not big on nostalgia, but I do remember many a happy hour at the tenpin bowling alley when I should have been at school. For the record, I want it known that I did beat Brian Lara. I think he was surprised to see the ball go straight on instead of spinning into the gutter.

  Brian is the best left-hander I have bowled to by quite a way. Like all great batsmen, he gets into position that split second earlier than the rest, to give himself more scoring options. Even with some big fourth-innings totals to defend I’ve never thought a game is won with Lara at the crease.

  He became the leading Test run-scorer of all time despite a ton of expectation on his shoulders. At times he has practically carried the side and his batting against us in the 1998-99 series was just phenomenal. He has an unbelievable eye and his placement sets him apart from the rest.

  I dread to think what might have happened to West Indies without Lara. There were even reports of basketball and soccer taking over in popularity as the defeats mounted. Having been there a few times and seen the passion for cricket, I’m not so sure, but you cannot be complacent in an age when there are so many more opportunities for kids.

  People there are very proud and Lara gave them something to be proud about when the rest of their side was falling apart. When they start moving up the Test rankings, they will thank Lara for keeping the torch alight during some difficult years.

• Working with Nike in the 1990s was a great experience, not least because I met guys like Andre Agassi and Michael Jordan. Not surprisingly, I felt quite small in his presence. I think I knew more about basketball than he did about cricket, but it was still fascinating to get an insight into one of the truly great sportsmen.

  © Text and images
  Shane Warne 2006

• Extracted from Shane Warne: My Illustrated Career, to be published by Cassell Illustrated on September 14 at £20
  
• Available to pre-order through Times Books First for £18 (including p&p) by phone on 0870 160 8080 or online at:
  timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst