The life and times of Shane Warne – cricket legend and cultural icon – will be celebrated in a major drama event when Warnie premieres later this month.
The late, great Shane Warne was truly a larger-than-life character both on and off the field – he transcended cricket.
So what was it about this man? How did a kid from Black Rock – who made his living as a cricketer – come to be so famous and mourned by people from around the globe?
After all, this is a man who never captained Australia, a sportsman who found himself in trouble, multiple times – at one point banned from the game he loved. Warnie lived his life in the spotlight, with every failing scrutinised by global media and had more than his fair share of controversy. Yet, in spite of all that, Shane Warne managed to retain the love of not only his family and friends but millions around the world.
How did he pull it off?
Warnie possessed a rare gift: a genius for spin-bowling, an almost mystical art-form. He completely changed the game of cricket. When Warnie arrived, spin was dead. He turned the game on its head. He was passionate and unpredictable. A brilliant showman. Dangerous, whenever he got the ball. He battled serious injury and adversity. He made mistakes, fell out of favour and fought his way back – many times.
Shane Warne loved life. He absolutely ate it up. He loved people and they loved him back. And through it all, he stayed true to himself. He lived to be a legend, an icon.
This is his story.
Sunday, June 25 at at 7.00pm and Monday, June 26 at 7.30pm on Channel 9
