Warne the Greatest Sporting Icon of the Noughties

Fellow sports blogger Josh Pettitt this week posed a debate for the greatest sporting icon of the noughties.
In cricket, we have been lucky enough to witness the greatest of cricket teams in action over the last decade and, for all the brilliance of Brian Lara, the outstanding cricketer of the era must be an Australian.
Of the Australians who spearheaded this great side, many have brushed greatness on more than one occasion.

Adam Gilchrist redefined the role of the wicketkeeper-batsman, Matthew Hayden has tormented bowling attacks the world over, Ricky Ponting has ruthlessly racked up the runs and Glenn MacGrath’s meticulous accuracy was too good for most.
But it is Shane Warne who stands shoulders above his peers as a man who rarely slipped below the tag of greatness. Warne would be the first pick in anyone’s all-time XI and single-handedly made spin bowling sexy again.

From the turn of the century to his retirement at the end of the 2006/07 Ashes, Warne took an unprecedented 357 wickets at an average a little above 25.

And all this after being named as one of Wisden’s cricketers of the twentieth century. To achieve true greatness across in two centuries is a truly remarkable feat.

When Warne bowled that magical ball to Mike Gatting on his Ashes debut in 1992, the cricketing world knew they had a special talent on their hands.

People feared he would struggle to generate such devastating spin after shoulder surgery in 2000 and 2002 and some even feared his career may be over. But Warne came back stronger, adding excruciating accuracy to his devastating spin.

And he finished his career in the greatest possible way – as the star of the Australia side who whitewashed England in the 2006-07 Ashes.

The sheer consistency with which Warne not just brushed greatness, but maintained it over seven years of the past decade – and fifteen in all - make him the greatest sporting icon of the noughties.

Check out the other contenders here;

Josh Pettitt on Roger Federer

Will Gilgrass on David Beckham

Rob Goodman on Zinedene Zidane

Alex Smith on Lance Armstrong

Alain Tolhurst on Ryan Giggs

Hugh Morris on Steven Gerrard

Mike Brown on Usain Bolt

Tom Victor on Michael Schumacher