Kolkata: In front of Yusuf PathanShane Warne was the man who turned his cricketing career around and for the lesser known Dinesh Salunkhe he was a hero who had to be adored from afar before the two finally shared the dressing room, much to the Indian’s surprise.
The 52-year-old spin bowling icon, who took his last breath on Friday and left the cricket world heartbroken, meant more than just being a great player for the 2008 Rajasthan Royals team that won the IPL under his leadership against all odds.
“I only dreamed of taking a picture with him, but in the end I played and shared the dressing room with him. He also mentions my name in his autobiography. What more could I ask for?” said leg spinner Salunkhe, for whom that triumph 14 years ago remains the biggest career highlight of his life.
The 39-year-old, who now coaches underprivileged children, is stunned like many of the cricket fraternity that Warne will no longer charm with his wit and sharp demeanor as an analyst, a role he perfected after giving up the game as a player.
“He was truly extraordinary, always one step ahead of the others. He always had two plans ready and played the game in his head,” recalls Salunkhe, who never played first-class cricket.
Warne was well aware that he was leading a team of underdogs, but with his out-of-the-box approach, he transformed their weaknesses into strengths.
Whether it was Pathan, who later won two more IPL titles with another team, or the then relatively lesser-known Ravindra Jadeja, Warne brought out the best in everyone.
It was an important season for Baroda’s Pathan and he emerged as one of the most sought after utility players after that win.
“He was a captain, who changed my cricket career with the way he used my skills, be it my bowling or power hitting skills,” Yusuf recalled Warne in an interaction with PTI.
Whether it was to pass the new ball to Pathan, a tactic that was rarely used then, or to use it in different positions in the batting order. Warne made the most of Yusuf who finished the season with 435 runs and eight wickets.
“His contribution to my cricket career has been over 100 per cent, I haven’t looked back since. A true leader is one who gets the best out of his player and he was one of those.
“He always supported me and said, ‘Yusuf would win our game today’. He was full of life and enjoyed every moment with us. Whatever the situation, he always supported his players,” said Pathan.
“It’s really hard to bear that he is no longer with us. The three years we played together will always be special to me,” added the 39-year-old.
In Swapnil Asnodkar, their uncapped opener from Goa, Rajasthan found someone who could give the team flying starts in the power play. He went on to score 311 runs from nine matches with two half-centuries.
Asnodkar recalls how Warne turned it around with his pep talk after being outplayed by Delhi DareDevils by nine wickets, chasing a modest goal of 130 in 15.1 overs.
“He told us we lose as a family and we win as a family. He was approachable to us all the time. Despite being such a legend, he was open to our ideas and treated us equally, made everyone special. He never had that star-like attitude,” said Asnodkar.
He remembered getting an injury and how it affected his morale, but Warne pulled him out by simply telling him “You are the backbone of the team”.
“He told me you are the backbone of the team and I was confident. He supported all the domestic (uncapped) players and must have seen something good in us.”
Asnodkar was even more surprised when Warne accepted his invitation to come to his home in Goa and spend a lot of time with his family.
“There was a short break and the management allowed us to go on holiday in Goa. There were a few like Warne, (Shane) Watson, Jadeja, Taruwar Kohli who came to Goa. And then one day I invited Warne over to my house,’ he said.
“Never in my wildest dream would I have thought that he would accept the invitation and barge into my home and interact with my parents, sisters and cousins. They still remember the day fondly,” said Asnodkar, who is now the age group coach in Goa.
Pacer Pankaj Singh, who played five games for the franchise, recalled how Warne used their tournament build-up camp to get to know the players and create a healthy environment.
“In the 10-15 day camp leading up to the tournament, he identified everyone’s strengths and decided their roles accordingly,” said Singh, now an income tax official.
“He was full of innovations and out-of-the-box ideas. He got spinners to open the ball, using Siddharth Trivedi in the middle overs where he varied his pace for maximum effect.”
“He used the surprise elements very well to breed our opponents. It was not a fluke, but a lot of hard work and meticulous planning went into it.”
He made stars out of his players, be it Shane Watson or “Rockstar” Ravindra Jadeja.
“Watson wasn’t a big name then and was in and out of the Australian team, but he had his full support and he had a memorable season,” Singh said of the imposing all-rounder who was named Player of the Tournament in IPL 2008. †
For Salunkhe, Warne was his childhood hero. After losing his father at the tender age of five, the Chembur boy was raised by his mother, who worked as a cop in the Mumbai Police Department.
“I never had the money to buy cricket equipment or afford to go for coaching. I borrowed a few clothes that I would wear and clean in the evening to get ready the next day. With the help of my coach Uday Singh Bhonsle I could play club cricket.”
He was handpicked by the franchise after impressing with his power-hitting skills in a club-level Prabhodhan tournament in Mumbai.
He fondly remembers how Warne started with the sacking of Mahela Jayawardene in their match against Kings XI Punjab.
“He had the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara firing on all cylinders and I started cheering after the dismissal. He came up to me and told me to get ready to bowl to Jayawardene.
“And I ended up taking his (Jayawardene’s) wicket. He also mentions this in his autobiography,” said Salunkhe, highlighting how the flamboyant legend effortlessly touched lives in his own eventful life.
Indian Navy successfully tests Brahmos missile
