King, Crown Prince congratulate South Africa's president on Freedom Day    Council of senior scholars: Hajj permit mandatory under Shariah law    Food poisoning cases rise to 35 in Riyadh restaurant incident    Honduras exempts Saudis from visa requirements    WEF convenes special meeting on global collaboration, growth and energy for development 1,000 government, business and civil society leaders to gather in Riyadh    Saudi House opens in Riyadh to showcase Kingdom's Vision 2030 innovations    Saudi Drug enforcement contributes to thwarting 47 kilograms of cocaine smuggling in Spain    Al Hilal triumphs over Al Fateh in a fierce 3-1 clash at Kingdom Arena    Al Shabab overpowers Al Ittihad with a 3-1 victory in Jeddah    Saudi Olympic team exits U-23 Cup in quarterfinals, loses Paris 2024 Olympics dream    Egyptian delegation arrives in Israel to revive deadlocked ceasefire and hostage talks    Supreme Court appears ready to reject Trump's immunity claims    TGA introduces uniform for bus drivers    Ministry uncovers misuse of mosque utilities during inspection    Saudi Arabia supports UNRWA's efforts for Palestinian refugees, urges donor commitment    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Riyadh premieres first Saudi opera    Riyadh Season announces first overseas event with boxing gala in Los Angeles    Australian police launch manhunt for Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger    Spice Girls reunite at Posh's 50th birthday    Aspiring fencer Josh Brayden aims for Olympic glory    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Aussie fans for Warne comeback
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 09 - 12 - 2010

SYDNEY: Dismayed Australian cricket fans have launched a campaign to bring back spin bowling master Shane Warne, four years after his retirement, after the team's thrashing by England in the second Ashes Test.
Australia lost the second Test of the five-match Ashes series in Adelaide by an innings and 71 runs Tuesday, prompting fears that the national team is hitting lows not seen since the 1980s.
Warne has refused to comment on a possible comeback but Brisbane cricket fan Ross Heywood has established a website devoted to raising funds to entice the 41-year-old to make himself available for the rest of the Ashes series.
“To bring back the Ashes, we need Warne,” states bringbackwarne.com which has raised over 3,000 dollars (2,932 US) for its Ashes “Rescue Fund” since Tuesday.
“We offer the Rescue Fund to the King of Spin, pleading with him to once again don the Baggy Green and attempt to win us back the Ashes,” it says.
“Should Warne not accept our offer, all contributions will be refunded.”
Warne, who is hosting a cricket television show during the Ashes, dodged questions on a comeback while blogging for Sydney's Daily Telegraph Tuesday.
The first Ashes Test in Brisbane ended in a draw, but the team has struggled for form and has dropped to a ranking of five in the world since the retirement of Warne, paceman Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.
Local sports writers also have resorted to trying to cajole Warne out of retirement in the hour of need.
Warne, as famous for generating tabloid headlines as match-winning performances, would revitalize Australia's blunt attack which took only six wickets in its past two innings, columnist Peter Fitzsimons, a former Australia rugby international, wrote in Wednesday's Sydney Morning Herald.
“Yes, England are on course for their first stunning victory since 1986-87 and it will be at our expense. Unless we do something. Who ya gonna call? Not Ghostbusters. Why not Shane Warne?”
The stocky blond extrovert from Melbourne's suburbs relished terrorising English batsmen over the course of a long, illustrious career, but retired from international cricket after Australia white-washed England 5-0 in the last home series.
More than 70 percent of respondents to an online survey carried by local tabloid, the Daily Telegraph, said Warne should be recalled, but the spinner has played a straight bat – without expressly ruling himself out.
“There has been a bit written in Australia and people have been asking me about making a comeback. All I can say is that it is very flattering to hear those words,” Warne wrote in the Telegraph, a British newspaper.
The legspinner instead plumped for Michael Beer, an untried state cricketer, for his left-arm spin and local knowledge of Perth's WACA ground, where Australia will hope to peg back the 1-0 series deficit in the third test next week.
“Sometimes horses for courses works. Australia have to explore all options and win this next match to get back in this series,” Warne said.
Warne could be coaxed back out of retirement, but would need to be handed the captaincy, Fitzsimons said.
“I say, OK. Ricky Ponting, we love you and thanks, but it just isn't working ... In desperate straits, we need to not only roll the dice, but go to the man who has rolled the dice for a living, even in his downtime.”
Ponting's challenge
Suddenly the prospect of being the first Australian captain in 120 years to lose three Ashes series is very real for Ricky Ponting.
It was in Adelaide the last time the Ashes were contested on Australian soil that the home side pulled off a remarkable victory which proved the catalyst for its 5-0 series whitewash. Four years on, it was an entirely different outcome.
Although the series is open with three matches to go, Australia has not come from behind to win a home series since 1936-37 when Sir Donald Bradman led Australia from 2-0 down to win 3-2. Although the Australians did overcome a 1-0 deficit to win the 1997 series in England.
With only Ponting, Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke remaining from the victorious 2006-07 Ashes side, and mainstay Simon Katich in all likelihood out for the series, Australia is relying on a new generation of players to win back the Ashes.


Clic here to read the story from its source.