Melbourne, Nov. 23 : Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne has called on the game's managers to take urgent steps to keep Test cricket alive and popular among the spectators

Melbourne, Nov 15 : Michael Clarke will take on spin-legend Shane Warne in next week’s All Stars Twenty20 blockbuster, after he persuaded chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch how keen he was to play.

“I’ve spoken to Andrew Hilditch and told him I’m really keen to play. I think he’s happy for me to play,” Clarke said.

Ahead of his long-awaited comeback from injury for NSW against Tasmania today, Clarke''s motivation to add the All Stars clash to his schedule flies in the face of on-going debate about player burnout, The Herald Sun reprots.

London, Oct 25 : Australian bowling legend Shane Warne has said that the biggest threat to the art of spin bowling comes from coaches and captains who lack the understanding of the art.

Warne, who is in Adelaide for a poker tournament, said the inability to set the right fields and an unhealthy preoccupation with dot-ball (no-run) bowling had placed his craft in jeopardy.

Sydney, Oct 23 : He likes and enjoys women, vodka, smokes, a game of cards, laughs and fast cars, and at the Bradman Gala Dinner in Sydney on Wednesday night, former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne again demonstrated that old habits die hard.

In his hand at all times was a packet of cigarettes and two phones - one for the Mrs., the other for ... other important stuff.

That same day he dropped over to best mate Michael Clarke''s six million dollar Bondi pad, to catch up with Pup and take in the view from the balcony.

Melbourne, Oct. 21 : He’s known for his love of fast cars, and now Australia''s spin king Shane Warne will be revving up television screens as the host of a new series of Top Gear.

Warne, whose stable of luxury cars includes a head-turning black Lamborghini Superleggera, is set to front a new series with Jeremy Clarkson, reports The Herald Sun.

He is likely to host six episodes of the popular motoring show.

In a TV coup, Channel Nine is believed to have snared the rights to the motoring franchise from SBS.

London, Oct 14 : Former Australian legend Shane Warne has urged the England team to avoid promoting fast bowler Stuart Broad as an all-rounder, as he reckons it would ruin the youngster’s career.

Warne said expecting too much out of Broad could be counter-productive for the team during the tour of South Africa.

Melbourne, Sep 10 : Australian spin legend Shane Warne will celebrate his 40th birthday with 200 mates, a bottle of Polish vodka, a Cuban cigar - and possibly Hollywood actress Uma Thurman.

Warne turns 40 on Sunday.

Speculation mounted on Wednesday that the Hollywood superstar of Kill Bill fame will join the 200-strong invitation list including Sam Newman, Garry Lyon, Eddie McGuire, Jeff Fenech, poker ace Jo Hachem and a host of business leaders and media chiefs.

Melbourne, Sep. 8 : Former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne paid 3.35 million dollars for a property where he intends to seal his rekindled romance with ex-wife Simone Callahan.

The couple, who have revived their rollercoaster love affair late last year, are set to begin work on a giant Melbourne mansion.

Warne is expected to bulldoze the existing four-bedroom home to make way for the opulent new family home, complete with underground car park, pool and home cinema.

Melbourne, Sep. 3 : Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne is warming up for a large coming-of-age party in Melbourne with his wide variety of mates.

The eternally young, if slightly hairless, sportsman will reach his 40th birthday on Sunday week, but Warne is planning to celebrate a couple of days early with a big bash for celebrity mates in trendy South Yarra tomorrow week.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the cricket great has booked a Chapel St bar for the event.

Sydney, Aug 25 : Former Australian cricketers Shane Warne and Tom Moody have criticised the selectors, following Australia''s Ashes-losing defeat in the Fifth Test at The Oval.

Warne said that he was ''''staggered'''' by the decision to leave spinner Nathan Hauritz out of the side, while Moody said that selectors had got the decision ''''horribly wrong'''', The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Melbourne, Aug. 16 : He may have retired from Test cricket, but former leg spinner Shane Warne is still earning mega bucks through endorsements, a commentary career and a six million dollar annual income.

The man recognized as Australia''s greatest and most controversial bowler has been reinvented as Warne Incorporated, a one-man marketing machine whose image is being used to sell everything from beer to cricket to hair transplants.

London, Aug. 13 : Former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne's delivery from behind the microphone is proving to be almost as compelling as with the ball in his heyday.

According to the Daily Telegraph, he does it with apparent ease.

His fellow commentators marvel at how Warne can be lounging in the back of the box eating pizza and playing computer card games, then when it''s his turn to go on air he strolls over, picks up the microphone and immediately knows exactly what''s been going on, and what''s likely to happen next.

London, Aug 3 : Legendary cricketer Shane Warne stunned TV bosses with the use of the four-letter word `tw*t' during live commentary.

He stunned his fellow commentator David Lloyd when he used the four-letter word in the Sky commentary box at the Edgbaston Ashes Test, reports the Daily Star.

It happened after Aussie pace bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, 26, let the ball out of his grip as he ran in to bowl.

Melbourne, July 31 : Shane Warne seems to be back to his partying habits while his ex Simone Callaghan spends her time at home taking out the garbage.

The cricketer was spotted socialising at various parties in London recently.

He was first spotted at Cartier Polo at Windso mingling with Mick Jagger''s daughter Jade, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Sydney, July 28 : `Shane Warne' the musical has won the Helpmann Award for best new Australian work.

Although the production was a big hit at the awards ceremony at the Opera House yesterday, its May run in Sydney had to be closed earlier than expected.

The biggest winners were the 12 million-dollar musical blockbuster `Wicked' and the Sydney Theatre Company''''s eight-hour epic `The War of the Roses'.

Both musicals received six awards, including those for best musical and best play respectively.

Melbourne, July 23 : Former Australian leg spinner and mentor of Shane Warne, Terry Jenner, has warned the Australian cricket team not to abandon off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and bring in either Brett Lee or Stuart Clark for the Edgbaston Test that gets underway from July 30.

"If you only play three quicks, which one would you have to leave out? It can''t be [Peter] Siddle and it can''t be Hilfenhaus - who does it leave?" Jenner asked.

London, July 7 : Former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne and his ex-wife Simone Callahan stepped out together at the Wimbledon men''s final on Sunday, igniting rumors of a renewed love match.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Warne and Simone looked a happy couple in the grandstands at the royal box end.

They spent a relaxed afternoon in each other''s company. However some habits die hard, with Warne spotted texting on his mobile phone as he stood in front of Callahan.

Sydney, July 4: With the Ashes series scheduled to begin in less than a week's time, former Australian spin legend Shane Warne has rated each player of the Australian squad.

Warne has indicated that captain Ricky Ponting is the mainstay of the batting line-up, who would be full of motivation on his fourth Ashes tour. Warne maintained that Ponting would lift the urn.

Warne expressed confidence about openers Simon Katich and Phil Hughes. He remarked both players are unpredictable, unorthodox and super-effective, the Courier Mail reports.

Las Vegas, July 4 : The on-and-off Shane Warne and Simone Callahan romance saga seems to be back on track.

After taking some initial steps to rekindle their rocky relationship last Christmas, former Australian cricketer Warne and his ex-wife are staying together in Las Vegas.

The retired leg-spinner is in America''s gambling capital, representing 888 Poker in the world series.

He has brought his entire family along for company, The Courier Mail reports.

Las Vegas, July 4 : Who uses the new ball better – Australia or England – will determine the winner of the 2009 Ashes series, believes former leg-spinner Shane Warne.

“They have to take early wickets because they are going to be flat wickets,” the Courier Mail quoted Warne as saying in the gambling capital of the world.

He also said that this series would determine Ponting''s captaincy?