Cricket Ashes SeriesIf the Ashes have been an all-consuming contest for a century and more, no one has been more consumed than Shane Warne. Yesterday, in front of the massive stands at the MCG, to be filled to capacity for the St Stephen's Day Test, he announced his retirement from international cricket at the end of the Sydney Test.
He said only England's win in 2005 prevented him from making the decision after that series. Furthermore, if England had retained the urn this year he would have tried to wrest it back next time and the times after that, adding, if necessary, a Zimmer to his zooter. It was, he said, his "mission" to get back the urn and he will retire "a happy man".
By then, unless he does himself a mischief, Warne will have become the first person to reach 700 Test wickets, probably on St Stephen's Day in his home town, before the largest crowd ever assembled for a cricket match in Australia (or anywhere, officially).
"A lot of people said, 'you'll know when your time is up and the time is right'," Warne said. "I doubted that, I didn't really understand what they meant. Now I know exactly what they meant.
"My time is now. I could not have asked for things to go any better. The script leading up to the last two matches was that I was going to retire after the Sydney Test match. I was not going to do anything ahead of the team, and once we got the urn back it was going to be time to announce my retirement.
"I'm going out on my terms. It is a day of celebration. I don't think I could have asked my career to go any better. You go through various ups and downs, but I never dreamt my cricket career could go as well as it has.
"I've been very lucky in an era of Australian cricket that's been very successful and I've had the opportunity to play with some unbelievable players, and together we've achieved some special things.
"The team environment with Australia has been the most enjoyable time of my life and I don't think I could have given any more. I'll probably miss it because I've missed one-day cricket in the last few years, but I know it is the right decision."
It will be the end of an era and perhaps the beginning of the end of more than a decade of dominance by Australia, whose ageing side seem to have finally reached the end of the road.
Damien Martyn announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago, Warne has followed suit and 36-year-old seamer Glenn McGrath is also expected to finish at the end of this series. Justin Langer (36), Matthew Hayden (35) and Adam Gilchrist (35) may go soon.
Warne is convinced Australia's domestic game is strong enough to withstand the loss of modern greats like himself, Gilchrist and McGrath and still be able to dominate world cricket.
But former Australian captain Mark Taylor believes there is simply no replacement for Warne - even though the Aussies are able to introduce players like Shane Watson and Phil Jacques.
"He's unique - there is talk of McGrath retiring in the near future but Warney will leave a big hole because he does something no one else can do," Taylor claimed.
"We've been very lucky to have him play for us and there is no doubt in my mind he has won many Tests on his own either through taking wickets or keeping the pressure on.
"Australia will sorely miss him. With Warney out of the team, I believe we will move back towards the pack. I still believe Australia can be number one but without Warney it's going to be much harder."
Warne confirmed, however, that he will honour the remaining two seasons of his contract with Hampshire. He has unfinished business there, he says, which means the shrewd investor should place money on the county championship going to the Rose Bowl. What Warne sets out to do, he generally does.
