Warne set to retire, say reports
Shane Warne is expected to announce his retirement after the last Ashes Test, according to reports in Australia.
Warne, 37, is one wicket away from becoming the first bowler in Test history to claim 700 wickets, with the fourth Test starting on 26 December.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said Warne is expected to become a television commentator.
Channel Nine, for whom Warne has worked part-time in the past, said he would hold a press conference on Thursday.
Warne said in a newspaper column on Wednesday he had no plans to quit but Sydney's Daily Telegraph, which ran the column, subsequently carried the retirement reports on its website.
The fourth Ashes Test takes place on Warne's home turf, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and is expected to break the previous attendance records of 90,800 for a single day and 350,354 for the whole match.
Spinner Warne, who was named one of Wisden's five cricketers of the century in 2000, became the first ever bowler to reach 600 wickets during the 2005 Ashes series.
He has 25 more Test scalps than his nearest rival, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, although he has played 33 more games. Aussie team-mate Glenn McGrath is next in line with 555.
Warne's Hampshire team-mate Shaun Udal said he had not heard from Warne but hoped the retirement would only be from the international game.
"If this is true, I would love to see him finish the next two or three years with Hampshiore," said Udal.
"But I'm sure Warnie will go out in his own inimitable style."
Shane Warne is expected to announce his retirement after the last Ashes Test, according to reports in Australia.
Warne, 37, is one wicket away from becoming the first bowler in Test history to claim 700 wickets, with the fourth Test starting on 26 December.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper said Warne is expected to become a television commentator.
Channel Nine, for whom Warne has worked part-time in the past, said he would hold a press conference on Thursday.
Warne said in a newspaper column on Wednesday he had no plans to quit but Sydney's Daily Telegraph, which ran the column, subsequently carried the retirement reports on its website.
The fourth Ashes Test takes place on Warne's home turf, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and is expected to break the previous attendance records of 90,800 for a single day and 350,354 for the whole match.
Spinner Warne, who was named one of Wisden's five cricketers of the century in 2000, became the first ever bowler to reach 600 wickets during the 2005 Ashes series.
He has 25 more Test scalps than his nearest rival, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, although he has played 33 more games. Aussie team-mate Glenn McGrath is next in line with 555.
Warne's Hampshire team-mate Shaun Udal said he had not heard from Warne but hoped the retirement would only be from the international game.
"If this is true, I would love to see him finish the next two or three years with Hampshiore," said Udal.
"But I'm sure Warnie will go out in his own inimitable style."
Bring Back Pako
Oh dear
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