Warne invited to play cricket for Germany

The German cricket teams coach has said that record-breaking Australian legspinner Shane Warne would be more than welcome should he decide to acquire the citizenship of the country.

Sydney, Aug.23 : The German cricket team's coach has said that record-breaking Australian legspinner Shane Warne would be more than welcome should he decide to acquire the citizenship of the country.

Keith Thompson, a Scot who has coached the German national team for the past three seasons, was quoted by news.com.au as saying that, "We will try and get him over."

Thompson also said that the offer stood whether or not Warne applies to become a citizen of Germany.

The invitation to the world's greatest leg-spinner follows revelations that Warne is considering applying for German citizenship (his mother Brigitte was born in Germany) so he can continue representing English county Hampshire as a "home" player.

Warne has said he would only go ahead if he could retain his Australian citizenship, which he will never renounce.

"It might be something amusing for him to do, to come over and see cricket in Germany," Thompson said.

"I have heard he is pretty generous with his time and it would be a massive boost for us even if he just came to have a look around.

"He might want to trace his ancestry over here, help us with some publicity or just come and have a beer."

Warne retired from international cricket in January with a world record 708 Test wickets.

Under ICC rules an international player can represent another country only after a four-year gap, which means Warne would be almost 42 before he could play for Germany in the 2011 season.

The Deutscher Cricket Bund, based in the city of Passau on the Austrian border, has been an associate member of the ICC for eight years.

Germany is due to play next May in Division Five of the ICC World Cricket League, against fellow cricketing minnows Botswana, Afghanistan, Nepal, Norway, Singapore, Jersey and Mozambique.

ANI