The Aussie great takes to @SkyCricket Twitter with Mike Atherton and Ian Ward to offer advice to some brilliant, budding spinners across the country
Sunday 23 August 2020 09:10, UK
When it comes to spin bowling, finding someone with more knowledge on the subject than Shane Warne would surely be an impossible task!
The former Australia leg-spinner took 708 Test wickets and is considered by many to be not only as the best bowler of his generation but in the history of the game - so who better to offer tips and advice to young aspiring spinners in our latest spin special coaching clinic?
Warne joined Ian Ward and Michael Atherton to look over all your clips sent in to @SkyCricket on Twitter and, who knows, perhaps the knowledge shared by the Aussie great could help provide England with a top-class leggie in years to come!
First up was five-year-old Ali Nisar and Warne was very impressed, suggesting the only thing to work on was stopping the front arm falling away.
"Keep that front arm strong and everything else looks really nice," he said.
Ted, aged six, was next up and seem to have the full array of deliveries for a leggie as he bowled to his dad Liam in the garden. As well as giving Liam's batting technique a bit of stick, Warne explained why some young bowlers find it easier to bowl a googly than a leg break.
"Fantastic," Warne says of nine-year-old Anna Henderson. "Really, really good." He also offers the advice of dropping the bowling arm just a fraction lower to help get a bit more spin.
Finally, we have Evan White, who has Down's syndrome and is hoping to play for England's learning disability side in the future. He has certainly made a good start and Warne thinks he could get even better by driving through with his back leg.
When it comes to coaching young bowlers, Warne thinks it is important not to try and change too much of what comes naturally.
"The coaching I had as a youngster was more of encouragement, encouraging what I had," he said.
"When I look at young spinners, I don't try and change what they naturally have but if there is something that they do that is stopping them - so say, if they can't spin their leg-break because there is something technically a disadvantage for them bowling it, then you have to try and change that if you want to be a leg-spin bowler.
"But whatever they have naturally, that is what you want to try and stick with."
