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No Spin
Everyone knows the story, or thinks they do. The leg-spinner who rewrote the record books. One of Wisden’s five cricketers of the twentieth century. A sporting idol across the globe. A magnet for the tabloids. But the millions of words written and spoken about Shane Warne since his explosive arrival on the Test cricket scene in 1992 have only scratched the surface. The real story has remained untold.
In No Spin, Shane sets the record straight. From his extraordinary family history to his childhood as a budding Aussie Rules footballer in suburban Melbourne. From the legendary ‘Gatting ball’ to his history-making 700th Test wicket. From the controversy surrounding the diuretic pill in South Africa to his high-profile relationship with Hollywood star Elizabeth Hurley. Nothing is off limits, and Shane tackles it all with his trademark directness and humour.
These days an incisive, charismatic TV commentator and analyst, the ‘Sultan of Spin’ also lets us in on the mysterious art of leg-spin bowling, revealing the secrets of some of his deadliest deliveries. As Shane says, ‘Few batsmen, if any, truly know what I do.’
A sporting great, a celebrity, a family man and a self-confessed regular Aussie bloke from the suburbs, in No SpinShane offers a compelling insight into how a boy from Black Rock changed the face of cricket forever.
In No Spin, Shane sets the record straight. From his extraordinary family history to his childhood as a budding Aussie Rules footballer in suburban Melbourne. From the legendary ‘Gatting ball’ to his history-making 700th Test wicket. From the controversy surrounding the diuretic pill in South Africa to his high-profile relationship with Hollywood star Elizabeth Hurley. Nothing is off limits, and Shane tackles it all with his trademark directness and humour.
These days an incisive, charismatic TV commentator and analyst, the ‘Sultan of Spin’ also lets us in on the mysterious art of leg-spin bowling, revealing the secrets of some of his deadliest deliveries. As Shane says, ‘Few batsmen, if any, truly know what I do.’
A sporting great, a celebrity, a family man and a self-confessed regular Aussie bloke from the suburbs, in No SpinShane offers a compelling insight into how a boy from Black Rock changed the face of cricket forever.
411 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2018
360 people are currently reading
1000 people want to read
About the author
Shane Warne
19 books11 followersShane Keith Warne was an Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet and the only one still playing at the time. He was also a cricket commentator and a professional poker player.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
March 10, 2019
This is what a sportsperson’s (or anyone’s) autobiography should be like. Not chronological, not a description of every game and series he has played but more a collection of thoughts on various incidents in his life (cricket and otherwise) as well as where he stands on some of the key cricketing debates today. No hedging or dodging, he says it as he thinks. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 28, 2019
I was quite excited to read this book, and the first half of the book was fairly interesting. I enjoyed a lot of his reminisces, especially some of his interactions with characters in and outside the game. I also enjoyed the recollections of some exciting games.
The book has a friendly conversational tone. Shane chatting with a mate. That's quite nice, and gives the reader a nice insight into the character that he is. The recollections are a bit scatty though: he'll be telling you a story and then suddenly veer off to another. He'll always come back, but it can be hard to keep up sometimes (so long can the digressions be). Sadly, I really feel that an editor is missing. I have recollections of Mark Nicholas at St George's Park about 20 years ago, and perhaps I'm not much of a fan. I'm not sure what his role in this book was, whether he was an editor, or simply a guide for Warne. But the book would have benefited from an editor or ghost writer, at least to focus the stories and keep the chapters a bit tidier.
In the end I was begging for it to be over, and the chapters following his final retirement after the IPL tended to waft, and painfully so. I really wanted to love this one.
Shane, you're a great bloke. But the book is not my favourite.
The book has a friendly conversational tone. Shane chatting with a mate. That's quite nice, and gives the reader a nice insight into the character that he is. The recollections are a bit scatty though: he'll be telling you a story and then suddenly veer off to another. He'll always come back, but it can be hard to keep up sometimes (so long can the digressions be). Sadly, I really feel that an editor is missing. I have recollections of Mark Nicholas at St George's Park about 20 years ago, and perhaps I'm not much of a fan. I'm not sure what his role in this book was, whether he was an editor, or simply a guide for Warne. But the book would have benefited from an editor or ghost writer, at least to focus the stories and keep the chapters a bit tidier.
In the end I was begging for it to be over, and the chapters following his final retirement after the IPL tended to waft, and painfully so. I really wanted to love this one.
Shane, you're a great bloke. But the book is not my favourite.
December 27, 2019
Shane Keith Warne’s only approach towards the game of cricket was one rooted in intensity. An approach that never took any prisoners and brooked no opposition. An aggressive in-your-face, no holds barred attitude, which more likely than not, won a multitude of games for Australia, some of which literally involved wresting victory from the gaping jaws of defeat! It is this same barn burning tactic which the ‘Sultan of Spin’ brings to the fore in his recent offering, an autobiography that is unsurprisingly titled, “No Spin”. Written along with the redoubtable Mark Nicholas, “No Spin” (“the book”) is explosive, energetic and in more passages than some, extraordinary.
Unashamed in content and unsparing in context, Shane Warne’s memoir is to put it mildly – an eclectic collection of exploits and eccentricities. Delectable on-field performances clash with deplorable off the field adventures, (misadventures rather), as Warne strives to lay bare the various nuances which both constitutes his persona and makes it tick.
Whether it be the magic ‘ball of the century’ which heralded the entry into the cricketing world, of the greatest leg spinner (or arguably even bowler) in the history of the game – but not before leaving Mike Gatting in a shambolic state of befuddlement – or an immoral tryst that involved two women and an inflatable sex toy (yes you read that right), Shane Warne’s life has been a roller coaster saga whose sweep has been unbelievably broad to embrace within its ambit the admirable and the abominable. The awe-inspiring magician who could change the course of any form of the game with an unparalleled sleight of hand could also be a naïve man who was forced to miss a World Cup for his country after swallowing a diuretic, courtesy the educated recommendation of his mother!
Mark Nicholas and Shane Warne take on in an uninhibited manner the task of reconciling the very cleave which, while lending an aura of invincibility to Warne the cricketer, also births an attribute of vulnerability, in Warne, the human being. The Monarch of all he surveys within and around the twenty yards of many a hallowed cricketing turfs across the world is reduced to remaining a torn individual racked by a plethora of emotions outside of the playing arena.
The inimitable and abrasive personality of Shane Warne, inevitably results not just in differences of opinion but also in simmering feuds. Shane Warne, in his book reignites one such feud and reopens an old wound that has at its center piece the former Australian skipper, Steve Waugh. Slamming Waugh for an attitude that Warne perceives to be self-centered, Warne ensures that no punches are held back as he launches into a blistering tirade against his former team mate. “Steve Waugh was the most selfish player I ever played with and was only worried about averaging 50. It was about a lack of loyalty. Pretty childish, I know, but that’s the way it was.” Recalling an incident where Waugh dropped Shane Warne from the playing XI against the West Indies contrary to accepted wisdom, Warne holds forth, “Disappointed is not a strong enough word. When the crunch came Tugga didn’t support me, and I felt so totally let down by someone who I had supported big time and was also a good friend. I lost a bit of respect for him after that. I believe he should have backed me — as I always believe the art of captaincy is to support your players and back them every time. This gains the respect from the players and makes them play for you. He didn’t, it’s history, but I never found it easy with him after that.”
Former Australian Coach John Buchanan also comes in for some criticism, especially in relation to his unconventional methods of coaching that involved reading excerpts from Sun Tzu’s “Art Of War”, going on remorseless boot camps and waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of simulated explosives to belt the “Underneath The Southern Cross” at full volume.
Warne also is refreshingly open about his obsession towards cigarettes and a predilection to alcohol. “Ten Vodka/Red Bulls and 50 darts” represent a night well spent. A few facts about Warne that has not made the rounds in the public domain in general, and outside Australia in particular, get deserving mention in the book. For example, many of Warne’s fan and followers would be pleasantly surprised to note that this legendary leg-spinner is the first man to have got a hole in one with the pin in the back right position at the Augusta Masters. Also the fact that Warne was a talented Australian Rules Football player having clocked in regular games for his beloved club St Kilda is a fact that has been obfuscated to a great extent by his overwhelming exploits with a cricket ball in hand. The book also has its share of wicked wit. A photograph that has Warne turning over his arm under the eagle eyed tutelage of Terry Jenner bears the caption, “with Terry Jenner, the teacher. John Buchanan is in the background, where he should have been more often.” Typical, indomitable Shane Warne!
The author Scott G. Fitzgerald once said, “personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures.” However, in the case of Shane Warne, one of the greatest ever sporting legends of any generation, personality has been an unbroken series of gestures, not necessarily successful. This man’s gestures have alternated between spontaneity and confidence, oscillated between gestures of conviction and indiscretion. Nevertheless, they have been gestures animated by freedom and exemplified by naturalness. The gestures fizz with the same verve which induced the fear of the devil in every batsmen as they watched with impending doom the breathtaking trajectory of the ball leaving the conjurer’s hand. In the same way as there was no knowing what would happen to either the delivery or the prospects of the batsman facing up to it, this remarkable human being’s gestures do not lend themselves to prediction.
That’s exactly how it ought to be! For Shane Keith Warne, both cricket and life are tenets of glorious uncertainties!
Unashamed in content and unsparing in context, Shane Warne’s memoir is to put it mildly – an eclectic collection of exploits and eccentricities. Delectable on-field performances clash with deplorable off the field adventures, (misadventures rather), as Warne strives to lay bare the various nuances which both constitutes his persona and makes it tick.
Whether it be the magic ‘ball of the century’ which heralded the entry into the cricketing world, of the greatest leg spinner (or arguably even bowler) in the history of the game – but not before leaving Mike Gatting in a shambolic state of befuddlement – or an immoral tryst that involved two women and an inflatable sex toy (yes you read that right), Shane Warne’s life has been a roller coaster saga whose sweep has been unbelievably broad to embrace within its ambit the admirable and the abominable. The awe-inspiring magician who could change the course of any form of the game with an unparalleled sleight of hand could also be a naïve man who was forced to miss a World Cup for his country after swallowing a diuretic, courtesy the educated recommendation of his mother!
Mark Nicholas and Shane Warne take on in an uninhibited manner the task of reconciling the very cleave which, while lending an aura of invincibility to Warne the cricketer, also births an attribute of vulnerability, in Warne, the human being. The Monarch of all he surveys within and around the twenty yards of many a hallowed cricketing turfs across the world is reduced to remaining a torn individual racked by a plethora of emotions outside of the playing arena.
The inimitable and abrasive personality of Shane Warne, inevitably results not just in differences of opinion but also in simmering feuds. Shane Warne, in his book reignites one such feud and reopens an old wound that has at its center piece the former Australian skipper, Steve Waugh. Slamming Waugh for an attitude that Warne perceives to be self-centered, Warne ensures that no punches are held back as he launches into a blistering tirade against his former team mate. “Steve Waugh was the most selfish player I ever played with and was only worried about averaging 50. It was about a lack of loyalty. Pretty childish, I know, but that’s the way it was.” Recalling an incident where Waugh dropped Shane Warne from the playing XI against the West Indies contrary to accepted wisdom, Warne holds forth, “Disappointed is not a strong enough word. When the crunch came Tugga didn’t support me, and I felt so totally let down by someone who I had supported big time and was also a good friend. I lost a bit of respect for him after that. I believe he should have backed me — as I always believe the art of captaincy is to support your players and back them every time. This gains the respect from the players and makes them play for you. He didn’t, it’s history, but I never found it easy with him after that.”
Former Australian Coach John Buchanan also comes in for some criticism, especially in relation to his unconventional methods of coaching that involved reading excerpts from Sun Tzu’s “Art Of War”, going on remorseless boot camps and waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of simulated explosives to belt the “Underneath The Southern Cross” at full volume.
Warne also is refreshingly open about his obsession towards cigarettes and a predilection to alcohol. “Ten Vodka/Red Bulls and 50 darts” represent a night well spent. A few facts about Warne that has not made the rounds in the public domain in general, and outside Australia in particular, get deserving mention in the book. For example, many of Warne’s fan and followers would be pleasantly surprised to note that this legendary leg-spinner is the first man to have got a hole in one with the pin in the back right position at the Augusta Masters. Also the fact that Warne was a talented Australian Rules Football player having clocked in regular games for his beloved club St Kilda is a fact that has been obfuscated to a great extent by his overwhelming exploits with a cricket ball in hand. The book also has its share of wicked wit. A photograph that has Warne turning over his arm under the eagle eyed tutelage of Terry Jenner bears the caption, “with Terry Jenner, the teacher. John Buchanan is in the background, where he should have been more often.” Typical, indomitable Shane Warne!
The author Scott G. Fitzgerald once said, “personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures.” However, in the case of Shane Warne, one of the greatest ever sporting legends of any generation, personality has been an unbroken series of gestures, not necessarily successful. This man’s gestures have alternated between spontaneity and confidence, oscillated between gestures of conviction and indiscretion. Nevertheless, they have been gestures animated by freedom and exemplified by naturalness. The gestures fizz with the same verve which induced the fear of the devil in every batsmen as they watched with impending doom the breathtaking trajectory of the ball leaving the conjurer’s hand. In the same way as there was no knowing what would happen to either the delivery or the prospects of the batsman facing up to it, this remarkable human being’s gestures do not lend themselves to prediction.
That’s exactly how it ought to be! For Shane Keith Warne, both cricket and life are tenets of glorious uncertainties!
October 13, 2021
The icon of cricket in the 90s and 00s, and perineal trouble-maker; I knew this was going to be an interesting read. Shane’s writing style is rather scatty and conversational, which at first seems disjointed, but as the book begins to delve more into the background and routes behind the spin and ‘spins’ in his life, the book almost reads as an audiobook. Anyone who admires the 708 Test Wickets; one of the Wisden players of the Century, the man with the highest number of Test runs without a century, also get an honest review of some of his questionable life choices, with language in a traditional Aussie fashion. His understanding of the game is bonkers, and I’ve found myself watching old clips on Youtube to get a sense of the events he talks about: Gatting Ball is just the tip of the iceberg.
April 11, 2022
I have been a sports fan for most of my life. Cricket is a popular sport in India, though the game has been losing its charm due to the match-fixing controversies and a general overdose. I was never a great player but would consider myself a keen observer of the game and spent time maintaining statistics and following specific players. One particular player I always was wowed by was Shane Keith Warne for his bowling and overall aura on the field.
His death was a big shock and happened too soon; sincere condolences to his family and friends. I had to reach his autobiography to understand Warnie better, and the book did not let me down. I picked the e-book and bought the Audible version, and so did my simultaneous read-listen in this one. Mark Nicholas has also done an excellent job and is a keen observer of the game.
The book covers Warne's life as a player – starting with a flop footy career, life as a non-serious but promising cricketer ending with over 700 test wickets. His cricketing journey began in Australia, after which he moved to England to play county cricket, where all the bowling helped him hone his skills and become a more threatening bowler. He covers his experience with the national team in reasonable detail – the highs include the 'Ball of the Century', Ashes victories and World Cup wins and other series. The disappointments include a few losses that hurt, some untimely injuries post which he was dropped a couple of times and missing out on a test century. He also accepts his disappointment in missing out on a long stint as Australia cricket team captain, something I believe he deserved. His career ended with the Indian Premier League, where Warnie led the unheralded Rajasthan Royals to become champions in the tournament's first edition.
Warne has also credited the people who made a massive impact on his life, like Terry Jenner and others. He has been equally honest about people and events he didn't get very impressed with, including some of his coaches and captains/ seniors – the example about 'worshipping the baggy green' is one such case.
I expected Warne not to hold back, and he sure did not; he ripped enough googlies and flippers and handled topics other people would have avoided by addressing them head-on. He delivers his best as always, and his book is full of googlies, flippers and leg breaks which leave the reader mesmerised. He has been honest about his personal life too, and he has not shied away from the controversies that were part of his life.
The book confirms my belief that he's the best captain Australia didn't have. RR fans would concur, I guess. Hats off to a special player and a great human being.
Thanks, Warnie! You left us too soon.
His death was a big shock and happened too soon; sincere condolences to his family and friends. I had to reach his autobiography to understand Warnie better, and the book did not let me down. I picked the e-book and bought the Audible version, and so did my simultaneous read-listen in this one. Mark Nicholas has also done an excellent job and is a keen observer of the game.
The book covers Warne's life as a player – starting with a flop footy career, life as a non-serious but promising cricketer ending with over 700 test wickets. His cricketing journey began in Australia, after which he moved to England to play county cricket, where all the bowling helped him hone his skills and become a more threatening bowler. He covers his experience with the national team in reasonable detail – the highs include the 'Ball of the Century', Ashes victories and World Cup wins and other series. The disappointments include a few losses that hurt, some untimely injuries post which he was dropped a couple of times and missing out on a test century. He also accepts his disappointment in missing out on a long stint as Australia cricket team captain, something I believe he deserved. His career ended with the Indian Premier League, where Warnie led the unheralded Rajasthan Royals to become champions in the tournament's first edition.
Warne has also credited the people who made a massive impact on his life, like Terry Jenner and others. He has been equally honest about people and events he didn't get very impressed with, including some of his coaches and captains/ seniors – the example about 'worshipping the baggy green' is one such case.
I expected Warne not to hold back, and he sure did not; he ripped enough googlies and flippers and handled topics other people would have avoided by addressing them head-on. He delivers his best as always, and his book is full of googlies, flippers and leg breaks which leave the reader mesmerised. He has been honest about his personal life too, and he has not shied away from the controversies that were part of his life.
The book confirms my belief that he's the best captain Australia didn't have. RR fans would concur, I guess. Hats off to a special player and a great human being.
Thanks, Warnie! You left us too soon.
July 28, 2020
Warney is no philosopher. In the pages of this biography he is an opinionated, impulsive, belligerent, vain gambler. He has his moments of humour and clarity but he holds back and wants to be liked at others.Is he aware of the sphere of white male privilege In which he operates, with his many glowing references to Johann Rupert, a South African billionaire who was fast-tracked to that status by the infrastructure of apartheid? Warney comes across as an insulated white Playboy who sails on yachts, drives Ferraris, and trots the globe, oblivious to the inequalities which make those excesses possible. Best not to expect much reflexivity from this former athlete.
May 18, 2022
In my childhood, I was a big fan of card games and used to own quite a few neatly stacked sets. Three categories were quite prominent in those card sets - WWE, Pokemon, and Cricket. In Cricket set, I still remember having this specific card having the charismatic action of Shane Warne bowling the Ball of the Century. And I am sure I was not the only one treasuring that card. You can't be called a true 90s kid if you never tried imitating his bowling action at least once. Warne made the dying art of leg-spin sexy again. Such was his influence worldwide!
In No Spin, Warne bares it all. Behind all the razzmatazz, flamboyance, and rebellious personality was a man who wanted to escape from it all & live a simple media-free life caring for the family. The book covers everything from his family and early childhood to his extremely successful cricketing career marred with failed relationships, controversies, and subsequent stints as a lovable TV star and commentator.
The grass is greener on the other side. Going through two shoulder injuries, two ring-finger ops, dropping off from the Test team, sacking from the one-day captaincy, ban for over a year just before the start of the Cricket World Cup, Warnie lost almost everything except hope. And he continued to achieve wonders with the ball. In 2000, he was chosen by a panel of cricket experts as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected and the only one still playing at the time. In 2004, he was included as part of Richie Benaud's Greatest XI and is one of the few to have his own statue outside the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Ground)
One common theme I've realized reading autobiographies of successful people is that everyone goes through ups and downs. However, what separates them from other people is how they manage the downs to consistently get themselves to the up. Read this book irrespective of your love for cricket. It's an absolute gem ingrained with life lessons and stories that will make you remember and respect the late legendary spinner even more.
In No Spin, Warne bares it all. Behind all the razzmatazz, flamboyance, and rebellious personality was a man who wanted to escape from it all & live a simple media-free life caring for the family. The book covers everything from his family and early childhood to his extremely successful cricketing career marred with failed relationships, controversies, and subsequent stints as a lovable TV star and commentator.
The grass is greener on the other side. Going through two shoulder injuries, two ring-finger ops, dropping off from the Test team, sacking from the one-day captaincy, ban for over a year just before the start of the Cricket World Cup, Warnie lost almost everything except hope. And he continued to achieve wonders with the ball. In 2000, he was chosen by a panel of cricket experts as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected and the only one still playing at the time. In 2004, he was included as part of Richie Benaud's Greatest XI and is one of the few to have his own statue outside the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Ground)
One common theme I've realized reading autobiographies of successful people is that everyone goes through ups and downs. However, what separates them from other people is how they manage the downs to consistently get themselves to the up. Read this book irrespective of your love for cricket. It's an absolute gem ingrained with life lessons and stories that will make you remember and respect the late legendary spinner even more.
March 24, 2022
People who talk a lot about their own experiences are often disparagingly dismissed as narcissistic by philistines. I hope those philistines should read this book. The philistines presumably arrived at their theory based on listening to other philistines who repeat the very few highlights of their limited lives. But this is the king and he represents those who have lived life to the hilt. I've never gotten tired listening to Warnie, and in this book, he's at his conversational, no-holds barred best, telling deeply personal stories, borrowing from his diverse experiences and yet narrating stories with "public interest". Warnie, of course, was a popular dinner table subject of discussion for the philistines who have only read tabloids, and then go on teach their kids about good manners and ruin their lives. Warnie's life is shows how a simple guy with a passion could have tremendous fun. Even if Warnie hadn't made it big, he'd have still been King and you'll have to read the book to find out why. This is a story for kids: be passionate and simple, and you'll live a king-sized life. Share your experiences, laugh and screw norms and the moral policing philistines, it'll all be fine in the end because you'll be happy. Boomers with their morals and discipline don't matter, because they are boring losers. You'll be sorely missed Shane, you were a king! I read this whole book in your voice and I'll miss listening to you talk about yourself and your experiences. Go well, emperor of spin!
April 14, 2022
It does get a bit waffle-y at times. The conversational tone is good, but too much of it actually hampers concentration. Overall a good book to get to know the best spinner from Down Under. RIP Warney. Thanks for the memories.
August 2, 2024
Top bloke. RIP
December 27, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Written with journalist and cricket commentator Mark Nicholas, this is a pretty much warts-and-all view of a sporting genius and cricketing icon who, it has to be said, has lived some life.
In No Spin, Shane Warne describes his upbringing and sporting youth as an almost carefree time of football, messing about and later on, cricket. A self-confessed ‘bogan’, Warne has no airs and graces and you get the impression from this book that pretty much what you see is who he is. His addictive personality has led him into a few scrapes, on and off the cricket pitch, and the age of social media has certainly amplified his actions.
You won’t always agree with Warney and he looks back with wistful regret at some of the experiences that have shaped his life but he is never less that likeable with strong opinions on the game he loves and so graced with distinction for many years. He’s the man who almost single handedly made spin bowling sexy (no mean feat) and who indeed made cricket sexy (even greater feat) and is someone who placed the game for real and with determination but always with a smile on his face.
The book details epic Ashes battles of the past and his relationships with teammates and the authorities which haven’t always been great. One constant though has been his relationship with his family who clearly mean the world to him and it’s fitting that the book ends with his two daughters and son talking together about their dad.
No Spin is a great read about a fascinating cricketer and one who you could imagine having a beer with and shooting the breeze. It’s great he’s still involved in the game on the media side and long may that be the case. I heartily recommend this book.
In No Spin, Shane Warne describes his upbringing and sporting youth as an almost carefree time of football, messing about and later on, cricket. A self-confessed ‘bogan’, Warne has no airs and graces and you get the impression from this book that pretty much what you see is who he is. His addictive personality has led him into a few scrapes, on and off the cricket pitch, and the age of social media has certainly amplified his actions.
You won’t always agree with Warney and he looks back with wistful regret at some of the experiences that have shaped his life but he is never less that likeable with strong opinions on the game he loves and so graced with distinction for many years. He’s the man who almost single handedly made spin bowling sexy (no mean feat) and who indeed made cricket sexy (even greater feat) and is someone who placed the game for real and with determination but always with a smile on his face.
The book details epic Ashes battles of the past and his relationships with teammates and the authorities which haven’t always been great. One constant though has been his relationship with his family who clearly mean the world to him and it’s fitting that the book ends with his two daughters and son talking together about their dad.
No Spin is a great read about a fascinating cricketer and one who you could imagine having a beer with and shooting the breeze. It’s great he’s still involved in the game on the media side and long may that be the case. I heartily recommend this book.
May 7, 2022
What a life
I struggled with the book a little as I found it a little self indulgent at times, Warne ‘setting the record straight’ and it seemed to skip around quite a bit. I can’t say I admire him as a person although I doubt he would care much! But what a sportsman. It was great to get into his head a bit in some of the games I saw him play. He went too early but also squeezed all he could from life. Definitely worth a read if you play.
I struggled with the book a little as I found it a little self indulgent at times, Warne ‘setting the record straight’ and it seemed to skip around quite a bit. I can’t say I admire him as a person although I doubt he would care much! But what a sportsman. It was great to get into his head a bit in some of the games I saw him play. He went too early but also squeezed all he could from life. Definitely worth a read if you play.
December 1, 2018
The quality of the writing is unexceptional. To its credit (or not) it reads like an everyday table conversation. The honesty and the humbleness come through, even though his place in cricket's hall of fame could have placed a halo on the head. If you were a fan of the leg-spinning maestro, then this is a good read.
December 4, 2018
I am a Shane Warne fan, so loved reading his life story. It's more like casual talk than a well written piece and I liked it that way. Shane's story shows how difficult it can be living in the limelight 24/7. What a legend he has been, loved his playing days, love his commentary now.
February 4, 2020
Struggled with this one & skipped through the second half. Didn’t mind the style but was just a bit too long & detailed for someone with only a cursory interest. I’m sure avid cricket / Warne fans would rate it higher, but I spent a lot of time wishing I was reading something else.
March 15, 2024
Title: No Spin: My Autobiography by Shane Warne: Whitewasher
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Review:
"No Spin: My Autobiography" by Shane Warne offers fans a candid glimpse into the life and career of one of cricket's most enigmatic figures. Warne's autobiography is a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, victories and defeats, but ultimately falls short of delivering the depth and insight expected from such a celebrated player.
Personal Anecdotes:
Warne's autobiography is filled with personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories that will undoubtedly appeal to die-hard fans of the sport. From his early days as a promising young cricketer to his meteoric rise to fame as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time, Warne pulls back the curtain on his life, sharing intimate details about his relationships, rivalries, and struggles both on and off the field.
Lack of Depth:
However, "No Spin" ultimately disappoints in its lack of depth and introspection. While Warne offers plenty of anecdotes and colorful anecdotes, he fails to delve deeply into the psychological and emotional aspects of his journey. Readers hoping for insights into the pressures of professional cricket, the challenges of fame, or the lessons learned from setbacks will be left wanting more. Instead, "No Spin" often feels like a surface-level retelling of Warne's career highlights, lacking the depth and nuance needed to truly engage and resonate with readers.
Comparison to Contemporaries:
In comparison to autobiographies by other cricketing legends, such as "Playing It My Way" by Sachin Tendulkar and "Fire in Babylon" by Michael Holding, "No Spin" falls short in terms of depth and substance. While Tendulkar and Holding offer readers profound insights into their respective careers and the game of cricket as a whole, Warne's autobiography feels more like a collection of anecdotes and highlights than a thoughtful reflection on his life and legacy.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, "No Spin: My Autobiography" by Shane Warne is a mixed bag, offering fans plenty of entertaining anecdotes but ultimately falling short in terms of depth and introspection. While Warne's larger-than-life persona and colorful storytelling may appeal to some readers, those seeking a more profound and insightful exploration of the man behind the legend may come away feeling disappointed. Overall, "No Spin" is a passable read for die-hard cricket fans, but it lacks the substance and depth needed to truly stand out among its contemporaries.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Review:
"No Spin: My Autobiography" by Shane Warne offers fans a candid glimpse into the life and career of one of cricket's most enigmatic figures. Warne's autobiography is a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows, victories and defeats, but ultimately falls short of delivering the depth and insight expected from such a celebrated player.
Personal Anecdotes:
Warne's autobiography is filled with personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories that will undoubtedly appeal to die-hard fans of the sport. From his early days as a promising young cricketer to his meteoric rise to fame as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time, Warne pulls back the curtain on his life, sharing intimate details about his relationships, rivalries, and struggles both on and off the field.
Lack of Depth:
However, "No Spin" ultimately disappoints in its lack of depth and introspection. While Warne offers plenty of anecdotes and colorful anecdotes, he fails to delve deeply into the psychological and emotional aspects of his journey. Readers hoping for insights into the pressures of professional cricket, the challenges of fame, or the lessons learned from setbacks will be left wanting more. Instead, "No Spin" often feels like a surface-level retelling of Warne's career highlights, lacking the depth and nuance needed to truly engage and resonate with readers.
Comparison to Contemporaries:
In comparison to autobiographies by other cricketing legends, such as "Playing It My Way" by Sachin Tendulkar and "Fire in Babylon" by Michael Holding, "No Spin" falls short in terms of depth and substance. While Tendulkar and Holding offer readers profound insights into their respective careers and the game of cricket as a whole, Warne's autobiography feels more like a collection of anecdotes and highlights than a thoughtful reflection on his life and legacy.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, "No Spin: My Autobiography" by Shane Warne is a mixed bag, offering fans plenty of entertaining anecdotes but ultimately falling short in terms of depth and introspection. While Warne's larger-than-life persona and colorful storytelling may appeal to some readers, those seeking a more profound and insightful exploration of the man behind the legend may come away feeling disappointed. Overall, "No Spin" is a passable read for die-hard cricket fans, but it lacks the substance and depth needed to truly stand out among its contemporaries.
March 3, 2023
I read this wanting to find out why everyone who met Warne loved him, especially his past partners. I didn’t get that. Got his intensity of playing, his hard partying, his ocker bloke nature. Got lots of descriptions of cricket. Lots. OK, it’s a cricket memoir so I expected that. Also expected that I would switch off and skip some of those bits. In my defence, it’s a long book. I listened to the audio book read by Rhys Muldoon. Very melodic voice. Helpful on the long nights I tossed and shivered with COVID.
December 22, 2025
Very informal 'autobiography,' which isn't really my fave for these kinds of sports books. The way it was told — especially the "story at the pub" vibe — fit Warnie perfectly, but just like wildly bouncing chats at the pub that take several turns and twists before getting to half a message, it often never got as far beyond surface level as I'd have liked. No real revelations beyond what we already knew. At its best when he was raving about his love of all things sports. At its worst when he just started commenting on things randomly late-on in the book.
April 28, 2019
Really enjoyed it. Shane Warne has always been two things, an absolute cricket legend on the field, but off the field has been quite polarising, with his fair share of scandals and other off field incidents.
He will be the first to admit he's not perfect, which makes this book an extremely eye opening and insightful read into one of Australia's most prolific sportspeople in history.
Highly recommend.
He will be the first to admit he's not perfect, which makes this book an extremely eye opening and insightful read into one of Australia's most prolific sportspeople in history.
Highly recommend.
December 22, 2018
Just like Andre Agassi’s “Open”, Shane Warne’s autobiography makes you experience his life with all the ups and downs of one of the most interesting and controversial characters in cricket.
This book is far better than the autobiography of Sachin Tendulkar, another great like Warne, but too politically correct and boring.
This book is far better than the autobiography of Sachin Tendulkar, another great like Warne, but too politically correct and boring.
March 27, 2022
Warne has been a cricketing hero of mine as he has to many who love the game. He prides himself in being himself, never giving up and having a win at all cost mentality that has proved his success. The King says it how it is in this book, an honest, raw account of the timeline of his incredible life. A man who will be missed by so many. There will simply never been another one like him.
January 23, 2019
Enjoyable read that sheds light on all the trials and tribulations that followed Warnie. I do however feel it does gloss over his cricket career, this may have been a deliberate ploy to spread the book to a wider audience. Personally I would have enjoyed more cricket !
February 5, 2025
Easy and engaging read. Quite an enjoyable autobiography of Shane Warne
August 24, 2022
The most striking thing about this book is that the voice is undoubtedly Shane. I've always had an affinity for Warnie; he is one day older than me, and I followed his career, not only because watching him bowl was just captivating, but also thinking what could have been if I had any talent, or commitment, really. And that commitment is what shines in the first part of the book, his perseverance through disappointment, and some immaturity.
The first 2/3 of this is great, I think Shane is a trustworthy narrator of his story. When cricket is the focus, this is a great read. When life takes over, to be honest, I was less engaged. I picked up this book, maybe like many others, after his passing this year, a reminder of mortality, and I'm glad I did.
3.5 stars.
The first 2/3 of this is great, I think Shane is a trustworthy narrator of his story. When cricket is the focus, this is a great read. When life takes over, to be honest, I was less engaged. I picked up this book, maybe like many others, after his passing this year, a reminder of mortality, and I'm glad I did.
3.5 stars.
February 17, 2019
Open and mostly entertaining account of SW’s life especially some of the cricket stories. It was revealing to discover how hard he actually worked on his bowling, often spending five hours honing his leg spin. An honest account of his life which backs up his live-for-today attitude. Not sure how he left out Jimmy Anderson in his World XI from the last 25 years.
January 1, 2019
A fun read, not in depth but it does give an insight into some of the events in his life.
September 13, 2025
#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads # Cricket
When Shane Warne titled his 2018 autobiography No Spin, he was, in a way, both cheeky and serious. Spin was his life: the craft that made him legendary, the art that resurrected leg-break bowling from near extinction, and the very thing that transformed cricket in the 1990s. But “no spin” also signals candour—an assurance that this will not be the sanitized puff of many sports memoirs but the raw account of a man who thrived on controversy as much as he did on wickets. The book is not free from self-defense, selective memory, or charm-laden spin of its own kind, but it is unmistakably Warne: blunt, mischievous, self-aware, and endlessly entertaining.
Shane Warne’s story, of course, is already half-myth. The boy from suburban Melbourne who was more interested in Aussie Rules football than cricket, the rebel who flunked out of cricket academies, and the overweight kid who munched on pizza and smoked heavily, yet reinvented himself as the greatest leg-spinner the game had ever known. To retell this myth in his own voice was Warne’s final gift to cricketing literature before his tragic death in 2022. And in No Spin, he narrates not just the career of a cricketer but the journey of a flawed genius grappling with fame, mistakes, and the enduring love for a game he elevated.
The most striking feature of No Spin is its voice. Readers familiar with Warne as a commentator or interviewee will instantly recognise the tone: conversational, slightly laddish, honest but sprinkled with humour. He admits to failings without self-pity. He boasts of achievements without false modesty. At times, the candour is disarming. He confesses to the text message scandals, the poor decisions around fitness and diet, and the careless off-field indulgences that fuelled tabloids for decades. Yet there is also a sense of shrugging inevitability: “That’s who I was.” Warne refuses to be a saint in retrospect. He offers himself as he is — genius in whites, chaos in civvies.
Unlike ghostwritten biographies that smooth rough edges, No Spin revels in them. Mark Nicholas, the co-writer, wisely preserves the cadence of Warne’s speech, ensuring the reader hears Warnie in every sentence. This authenticity makes the book feel less like a written memoir and more like an extended, pub-side conversation with cricket’s most charismatic rogue.
However, the real treasure of the book lies in Warne’s cricketing insights. Leg-spin, by the late 1980s, was a dying art. Batsmen dominated one-day cricket, spinners were reduced to containment, and fast bowling was the glamour trade. Warne reversed all of this. His explanations of grip, drift, revolutions on the ball, and above all, the psychology of deception are revelatory. He describes setting up batsmen over spells, disguising the flipper, and manipulating field placements to lure aggression. Cricket, for Warne, was a chessboard, and he was always three moves ahead.
His reflections on iconic moments — the “Ball of the Century” to Mike Gatting in 1993, the dismantling of South Africa in the 1999 World Cup semifinal, the Ashes duels with England — are more than anecdotes. They are dissections of art. Warne explains not just what happened but how he conceived it, how intuition met preparation, and how nerve combined with mischief. In these passages, the reader understands why captains leaned on him, why crowds adored him, and why batsmen feared him.
Yet No Spin is no hagiography. Warne is open about his failures: the diuretic ban of 2003 that kept him out of a World Cup, the gambling rumours, and the messy personal life that spiralled across tabloid front pages. He acknowledges being addicted to thrill, whether on the pitch or in casinos or relationships. But he never hides behind excuses. Instead, he offers explanation without apology. “I was a young bloke; I stuffed up,” is the refrain. For some readers, this breeziness may feel evasive. For others, it is refreshing honesty: Warne never pretends to be what he was not.
There is also vulnerability. He speaks of loneliness, of struggling with the scrutiny of fame, of missing his children during long tours, of yearning for normality even as he basked in celebrity. Beneath the bravado lies a man who, like many icons, found that greatness exacts a private toll.
One of the book’s liveliest aspects is Warne’s frankness about teammates, captains, and rivals. His complex relationship with Steve Waugh simmers throughout: admiration for Waugh’s grit is tempered by resentment at his coldness. He praises Mark Taylor’s intuitive captaincy, Ricky Ponting’s aggression, and rails against John Buchanan’s “theories” that he felt overcomplicated the game. Warne believed cricket was simple — bowl your best ball, trust your instincts, and back your mates. He had little patience for managerial jargon.
His accounts of rivals are equally vivid. He respects Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman he ever faced, revels in the duels with Brian Lara, and acknowledges the fearsome threat of South Africa’s batsmen. These reflections are not just tributes; they are psychological sketches, offering insight into how a great bowler read great batsmen. For fans, these passages are a feast.
No discussion of Warne is complete without the tabloids. The text message scandals, the high-profile romances, the constant paparazzi. Warne does not duck these episodes. He recounts them with a mix of regret and resignation. He admits to hurting loved ones, to failing in marriage, and to being careless with fame. Yet he also critiques the media’s obsession, the way it inflated mistakes into headlines. The book thus doubles as a study in the burdens of modern celebrity. Warne was perhaps the first cricketer to live in a paparazzi culture that rivalled Hollywood, and he bore its costs.
This openness makes the book less about clearing a name and more about living with imperfection. Warne does not emerge spotless; he emerges human. And that, paradoxically, enhances his legacy. Cricket had many greats, but few so openly flawed, so vulnerable, so real.
Reading No Spin today, after Warne’s sudden death in 2022, feels poignant. The book reads almost like a self-epitaph: a man reflecting on a life of highs and lows, content that he gave his all to the game he loved. He reclaims his narrative from tabloids and commentators, insisting that he be remembered as he was: a flawed genius who made cricket thrilling.
His legacy, as the book makes clear, is not just wickets or records. It is revival. Before Warne, leg-spin was dying. After Warne, it was the crown jewel of cricket. Generations of young spinners — from Anil Kumble to Yasir Shah — found inspiration in his wrist flicks. He changed the imagination of the game, making spin glamorous, aggressive, and feared. That cultural revolution is his true monument.
For readers outside cricket, No Spin still resonates. It is a story of talent meeting discipline, of genius undone by flaws, of fame’s double edge. It speaks to the universal tension between public image and private self, between the joy of mastery and the burden of expectation. Warne’s honesty about imperfection makes the book less a sports memoir than a human memoir. It is about navigating chaos without losing passion.
And there is something almost Shakespearean in Warne’s arc: the commoner who became a king, the magician undone by his appetites, the entertainer who gave joy but wrestled with shadows. The autobiography, in its rough candour, captures this complexity.
Of course, No Spin is not flawless. Some episodes feel skimmed over. The gambling controversies are dismissed too quickly. The more painful family dynamics are underexplored. Warne’s charm sometimes veils deeper reckoning. Readers seeking a rigorous, warts-and-all dissection may feel underfed. Yet to demand that from Warne is to misunderstand him. He was never about full confessions. He was about telling it his way, with candour but also with control. The gaps, in a sense, are part of the authenticity. They remind us that even autobiographies are performances.
No Spin is exactly what Shane Warne promised: not a sanitised myth, not a tabloid scandal sheet, but a candid conversation with cricket’s most charismatic genius. It gives us the bowler’s mind, the human’s flaws, and the entertainer’s heart. It is not perfect, but then neither was Warne. And that is the point.
To read it today is to hear Warne one last time: cheeky, brilliant, vulnerable, larger-than-life. In that voice, the myth dissolves into a man — and the man, with all his imperfections, becomes even more mythic.
In cricket, Warne spun balls that defied physics. In this book, he spins his life with disarming candour. No spin, and yet, all spin. That paradox was Shane Warne. That paradox is why his story will be told, read, and loved long after the scoreboards are forgotten.
When Shane Warne titled his 2018 autobiography No Spin, he was, in a way, both cheeky and serious. Spin was his life: the craft that made him legendary, the art that resurrected leg-break bowling from near extinction, and the very thing that transformed cricket in the 1990s. But “no spin” also signals candour—an assurance that this will not be the sanitized puff of many sports memoirs but the raw account of a man who thrived on controversy as much as he did on wickets. The book is not free from self-defense, selective memory, or charm-laden spin of its own kind, but it is unmistakably Warne: blunt, mischievous, self-aware, and endlessly entertaining.
Shane Warne’s story, of course, is already half-myth. The boy from suburban Melbourne who was more interested in Aussie Rules football than cricket, the rebel who flunked out of cricket academies, and the overweight kid who munched on pizza and smoked heavily, yet reinvented himself as the greatest leg-spinner the game had ever known. To retell this myth in his own voice was Warne’s final gift to cricketing literature before his tragic death in 2022. And in No Spin, he narrates not just the career of a cricketer but the journey of a flawed genius grappling with fame, mistakes, and the enduring love for a game he elevated.
The most striking feature of No Spin is its voice. Readers familiar with Warne as a commentator or interviewee will instantly recognise the tone: conversational, slightly laddish, honest but sprinkled with humour. He admits to failings without self-pity. He boasts of achievements without false modesty. At times, the candour is disarming. He confesses to the text message scandals, the poor decisions around fitness and diet, and the careless off-field indulgences that fuelled tabloids for decades. Yet there is also a sense of shrugging inevitability: “That’s who I was.” Warne refuses to be a saint in retrospect. He offers himself as he is — genius in whites, chaos in civvies.
Unlike ghostwritten biographies that smooth rough edges, No Spin revels in them. Mark Nicholas, the co-writer, wisely preserves the cadence of Warne’s speech, ensuring the reader hears Warnie in every sentence. This authenticity makes the book feel less like a written memoir and more like an extended, pub-side conversation with cricket’s most charismatic rogue.
However, the real treasure of the book lies in Warne’s cricketing insights. Leg-spin, by the late 1980s, was a dying art. Batsmen dominated one-day cricket, spinners were reduced to containment, and fast bowling was the glamour trade. Warne reversed all of this. His explanations of grip, drift, revolutions on the ball, and above all, the psychology of deception are revelatory. He describes setting up batsmen over spells, disguising the flipper, and manipulating field placements to lure aggression. Cricket, for Warne, was a chessboard, and he was always three moves ahead.
His reflections on iconic moments — the “Ball of the Century” to Mike Gatting in 1993, the dismantling of South Africa in the 1999 World Cup semifinal, the Ashes duels with England — are more than anecdotes. They are dissections of art. Warne explains not just what happened but how he conceived it, how intuition met preparation, and how nerve combined with mischief. In these passages, the reader understands why captains leaned on him, why crowds adored him, and why batsmen feared him.
Yet No Spin is no hagiography. Warne is open about his failures: the diuretic ban of 2003 that kept him out of a World Cup, the gambling rumours, and the messy personal life that spiralled across tabloid front pages. He acknowledges being addicted to thrill, whether on the pitch or in casinos or relationships. But he never hides behind excuses. Instead, he offers explanation without apology. “I was a young bloke; I stuffed up,” is the refrain. For some readers, this breeziness may feel evasive. For others, it is refreshing honesty: Warne never pretends to be what he was not.
There is also vulnerability. He speaks of loneliness, of struggling with the scrutiny of fame, of missing his children during long tours, of yearning for normality even as he basked in celebrity. Beneath the bravado lies a man who, like many icons, found that greatness exacts a private toll.
One of the book’s liveliest aspects is Warne’s frankness about teammates, captains, and rivals. His complex relationship with Steve Waugh simmers throughout: admiration for Waugh’s grit is tempered by resentment at his coldness. He praises Mark Taylor’s intuitive captaincy, Ricky Ponting’s aggression, and rails against John Buchanan’s “theories” that he felt overcomplicated the game. Warne believed cricket was simple — bowl your best ball, trust your instincts, and back your mates. He had little patience for managerial jargon.
His accounts of rivals are equally vivid. He respects Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman he ever faced, revels in the duels with Brian Lara, and acknowledges the fearsome threat of South Africa’s batsmen. These reflections are not just tributes; they are psychological sketches, offering insight into how a great bowler read great batsmen. For fans, these passages are a feast.
No discussion of Warne is complete without the tabloids. The text message scandals, the high-profile romances, the constant paparazzi. Warne does not duck these episodes. He recounts them with a mix of regret and resignation. He admits to hurting loved ones, to failing in marriage, and to being careless with fame. Yet he also critiques the media’s obsession, the way it inflated mistakes into headlines. The book thus doubles as a study in the burdens of modern celebrity. Warne was perhaps the first cricketer to live in a paparazzi culture that rivalled Hollywood, and he bore its costs.
This openness makes the book less about clearing a name and more about living with imperfection. Warne does not emerge spotless; he emerges human. And that, paradoxically, enhances his legacy. Cricket had many greats, but few so openly flawed, so vulnerable, so real.
Reading No Spin today, after Warne’s sudden death in 2022, feels poignant. The book reads almost like a self-epitaph: a man reflecting on a life of highs and lows, content that he gave his all to the game he loved. He reclaims his narrative from tabloids and commentators, insisting that he be remembered as he was: a flawed genius who made cricket thrilling.
His legacy, as the book makes clear, is not just wickets or records. It is revival. Before Warne, leg-spin was dying. After Warne, it was the crown jewel of cricket. Generations of young spinners — from Anil Kumble to Yasir Shah — found inspiration in his wrist flicks. He changed the imagination of the game, making spin glamorous, aggressive, and feared. That cultural revolution is his true monument.
For readers outside cricket, No Spin still resonates. It is a story of talent meeting discipline, of genius undone by flaws, of fame’s double edge. It speaks to the universal tension between public image and private self, between the joy of mastery and the burden of expectation. Warne’s honesty about imperfection makes the book less a sports memoir than a human memoir. It is about navigating chaos without losing passion.
And there is something almost Shakespearean in Warne’s arc: the commoner who became a king, the magician undone by his appetites, the entertainer who gave joy but wrestled with shadows. The autobiography, in its rough candour, captures this complexity.
Of course, No Spin is not flawless. Some episodes feel skimmed over. The gambling controversies are dismissed too quickly. The more painful family dynamics are underexplored. Warne’s charm sometimes veils deeper reckoning. Readers seeking a rigorous, warts-and-all dissection may feel underfed. Yet to demand that from Warne is to misunderstand him. He was never about full confessions. He was about telling it his way, with candour but also with control. The gaps, in a sense, are part of the authenticity. They remind us that even autobiographies are performances.
No Spin is exactly what Shane Warne promised: not a sanitised myth, not a tabloid scandal sheet, but a candid conversation with cricket’s most charismatic genius. It gives us the bowler’s mind, the human’s flaws, and the entertainer’s heart. It is not perfect, but then neither was Warne. And that is the point.
To read it today is to hear Warne one last time: cheeky, brilliant, vulnerable, larger-than-life. In that voice, the myth dissolves into a man — and the man, with all his imperfections, becomes even more mythic.
In cricket, Warne spun balls that defied physics. In this book, he spins his life with disarming candour. No spin, and yet, all spin. That paradox was Shane Warne. That paradox is why his story will be told, read, and loved long after the scoreboards are forgotten.
April 22, 2024
The life of Shane Warne as told through his words. A larger than life character who no doubt brought millions of viewers to the great game of cricket and millions more to his off field scandals. Never a dull moment, however this book lacks a meaningful story. It is merely a catalogue of the highs and lows of Warnies’ life. Maybe that is all it could be? But I was left wanting a lot more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2022
- Book Review: "No Spin" by Shane Warne -📚🏏🇦🇺
In a word: convoluted.
Legendary Australian cricketer @shanewarne23 's autobiography "No Spin" attempts to serve up a magic ball but slips and falls in it's delivery stride.
The book is one part cricket and two parts non-cricket. And that is precisely what makes it tenuous.
Such is the stature of Shane Warne "the cricketer" that a 600+ pages book with three-fourths of it about cricket and one-fourth about non-cricket would have fully satisfied the book's primary audience: the die-hard cricket fan.
But somewhere along the course of writing the book, the author himself - along with his lame duck co-author @mcjnicholas - seems to have digressed from this very important point. Warne attempts to portray himself as a figure that has transcended the game to become something more. While such non-cricketing details may be of interest to academics and historians, it is of little interest to the cricket fan who would much rather read about Warne's exploits as a cricketer rather than his off-field antics as a "celebrity".
The book takes about 100 excruciating pages to hit it's stride. And for about 200 pages it delivers on it's promise before fizzling out; akin to a well set batter throwing one's wicket away. What might have been an innings of longevity turns into a brief flashy cameo.
Yet even in the brevity of it's pages related to cricket, the reader cannot help but feel awed and appreciate the genius that is the mind of Warne and shower praise for his acute cricketing acumen. It is enough to confirm that Shane Warne is truly an Einstein when it comes to the game of cricket.
Convoluted, yes. But still definitely worth a read.
My rating: 3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
In a word: convoluted.
Legendary Australian cricketer @shanewarne23 's autobiography "No Spin" attempts to serve up a magic ball but slips and falls in it's delivery stride.
The book is one part cricket and two parts non-cricket. And that is precisely what makes it tenuous.
Such is the stature of Shane Warne "the cricketer" that a 600+ pages book with three-fourths of it about cricket and one-fourth about non-cricket would have fully satisfied the book's primary audience: the die-hard cricket fan.
But somewhere along the course of writing the book, the author himself - along with his lame duck co-author @mcjnicholas - seems to have digressed from this very important point. Warne attempts to portray himself as a figure that has transcended the game to become something more. While such non-cricketing details may be of interest to academics and historians, it is of little interest to the cricket fan who would much rather read about Warne's exploits as a cricketer rather than his off-field antics as a "celebrity".
The book takes about 100 excruciating pages to hit it's stride. And for about 200 pages it delivers on it's promise before fizzling out; akin to a well set batter throwing one's wicket away. What might have been an innings of longevity turns into a brief flashy cameo.
Yet even in the brevity of it's pages related to cricket, the reader cannot help but feel awed and appreciate the genius that is the mind of Warne and shower praise for his acute cricketing acumen. It is enough to confirm that Shane Warne is truly an Einstein when it comes to the game of cricket.
Convoluted, yes. But still definitely worth a read.
My rating: 3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 13, 2022
When you listen to Shane Warne speak, he hops on from one topic to another without spending enough time on it. He loves to play to the gallery and enjoys living the comforts of the bubble that cricket has provided him. The ideal pairing would be a writer who can look past these aspects and push him to talk about what lies underneath that exterior. Mark Nicholas has written this book as a fanboy, not a writer. Mark's autobiography is far more illuminating, and highlight's Mark's potential as a cricket writer. Anyone could have written this book, and Mark just happened to be the writer. The writing is too simplistic, and everything is entirely black and white.
It's like watching an average high-budget Bollywood movie. You sit through it because you have paid for it and don't want to walk out. However, it's a waste of your money, and you feel sad because the budget could have been utilized to create a much better impact had the writer been incentivized to do his job and the subject been more willing to introspect.
It's like watching an average high-budget Bollywood movie. You sit through it because you have paid for it and don't want to walk out. However, it's a waste of your money, and you feel sad because the budget could have been utilized to create a much better impact had the writer been incentivized to do his job and the subject been more willing to introspect.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews