London — England rugby union head coach, Eddie Jones, has paid tribute to fellow Australian, Shane Warne, who died last Friday in Thailand aged 52.
Describing the former Aussie cricketer as 'an icon', Jones said that leg spinner changed the game of cricket and had generations of younger players trying, and failing, to emulate his technique.
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He also recalled a meeting with Warne and the rest of the Australian side when he was coach of the Wallabies, and explained how the spinner had the last laugh with one of Jones' players.
The 62-year-old explaining how winger, Wendell Sailor, had got the better of Warne's team-mate Stuart MacGill, but then Warne tempted Sailor with two easier balls before bowling him with the third.
“I remember we had a net session with the Wallabies against the Australian side when they were right at the top and Warne was right at his top, and we had a guy called Wendell Sailor, you know, he was a larger than life character, and he was batting against Stuart McGill, who was the other legspinner,” said Jones.
“And Wendell was coming in smashing McGill out of the nets, and Warney grabbed the ball, and he went to the blokes behind, and he said, 'watch this'.
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“He gave him two floated up, Wendell smashed him, and the third one, he bowled a bit shorter, a bit faster, and he was bowled. And then he told Wendell he needs to go, which I thought was just a great little insight into such a wonderful sportsman."
Reuters