Cricket: Warne open to England possibility
After helping Australia to a first Ashes whitewash in 86 years, Shane Warne says he could now switch his allegiances to help England.
Speculation that England may turn to Warne has been mounting ever since he announced his retirement, and under-fire England coach Duncan Fletcher admitted after the series that he would be interested in using anyone who could help boost the team's productivity.
Warne is clearly intent on staying in the sport and the fact he lives in Southampton and will be playing for Hampshire for the next two seasons makes him accessible. His own preference would be to work for Australia, but he today admitted that he would also be happy to work for another cricketing nation, saying that he had a particular affection for England.
"Australian cricket is my priority," said Warne. "I want the team to stay No1 in the world and to help the sport to remain No1 in the country. James Erskine, my manager, has been having talks with Cricket Australia to see if they can find a way for me to stay involved.
"Beyond that, I also want to make sure that cricket stays healthy worldwide. So I would not have any problem with helping in England, New Zealand, South Africa or anywhere else. We live on a small planet these days. I have an affection for England and a house in Southampton. And I've helped out England bowlers in the past. I am a big believer in players learning from each other. That is what happens - or should happen - at the end of every match or series."
For now, however, it appears any potential link-up will have to wait, with England adamant that they are happy with the structure currently in place. "We have a current coaching structure that we are more than happy with," said an England spokesman. "No dialogue has taken place between Shane Warne and the England management. Clearly he has a wealth of experience and could be a valuable addition to any coaching team."
England spinner Monty Panesar said he would relish the chance to work with Warne. "There have been rumours going round about England wanting to offer Shane Warne a coaching job and as a young spinner, I have to say that it would be beyond my wildest dreams to work with him," said Panesar. "Perhaps I am getting too far ahead of myself even thinking about it. He is pure gold so I am sure the Australians will want to keep hold of him, but the idea of working with him is so exciting. He could be an incredible inspiration to me because he has so much knowledge and experience."