There are two matches starting on Boxing Day, one between India and South Africa and the second between is the ashes match between Australia and England. The match played on MCG is special because Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are retiring from cricket.

When I heard about the retirement of Shane Warne, I was a little disappointed and that brought back the memories of the time I was in Melbourne from 1997 to 1999. Shane Warne is from Victoria too and none of the Australian I knew were particularly fond of Shane. They disliked everything about him from his home to his Ferrari. Back then too Shane was out of the team for some time for a reason I don't remember now and not many people were happy with his inclusion in the team after that and I remember an ad done by Nike. "When will you give up Mr. Shane Warne?" The ad started with this like as counted various things like people saying the Australian team is better off without him and so on. It sounds a little negative when you write about it like I have but it was basically talking about the fighting spirit of Warne.

He made it to the team and was banned for more than a year and was involved in all sorts of things including text messages to half the women in this world but no one can forget what he has done on the field. He has taken 700 wickets in test cricket and the figure would be a little higher by the time they are done with this ashes series. I guess he will be overtaken by Murlidharan soon but hi is a chucker and not a bolwer and even if he take a 1000 wickets, my higest wicket taker will be Warne.

He made his debut against India and was not impressive at all as he managed to take only one wicket (of Ravi Shastri) and that was the only wicket he got for the entire series for 228 runs and it took him some time to take another Indian wicket and to get over the nightmares of Sachin Tendulkar hitting him all over the field but. His first ashes were a complete contrast when he bowled Gatting on his first ball that is now called the ball of the century. The batsman on the other end said, "His (Mike Gatting's) face looked like someone had nicked his lunch"

I am sad that he is retiring and I am sure every one of my friends back in Australia would be sad too because what he has achieved is not a small thing. I am sad because I feel even India being supposed to have the best spinners playing for it but no one can deny that Shane is the best of the all. He can do with the cricket ball what no one else can

Back to India, Irfan Pathan who was the star of Indian Cricket till sometime ago has been sent back mid series and I think it is happening to a player for the very first time in India. They are saying that the domestic cricket will help him improve his form. They kept promoting him as a batsman and were too happy when he was scoring all those runs and now they are telling him that he needs to improve his bowling.

What kind of message are you sending? They are no clear about their direction and are making someone else pay for it. Either you make it very clear to a bolwer that his job is only to take wickets or you be a little flexible with him when he is not taking as many wickets because he has been scoring runs.

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