Hardest thing was getting Ranatunga out: Warne

Leg spin wizard Shane Warne in his new book to be launched in London on Tuesday titled Shane Warnes Century has said that the hardest thing for me was getting ex-Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga in - I tried every which way to leave him out.

London, Oct 14 : Leg spin wizard Shane Warne in his new book to be launched in London on Tuesday titled "Shane Warne's Century" has said that the hardest thing for me was getting ex-Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga in - I tried every which way to leave him out.

He doesn't play the game in the right spirit. He told the umpire where he could stand, ordered his players of the field, got a runner on at least three or four occasions where there was nothing wrong with him.

Warne said he'd be rubbing one leg, but by the time the physio came back out, it had switched to the other!

He milked the system, but he was a bloody good player - and it annoyed me to put him in! And he gave Sri Lanka a winning culture, which they've built on, Warne said.

Have you had any spiky phone calls from players not happy with their ranking? Or not in the top 100 at all?

I changed my phone number! I haven't had too many yet, but the Aussies are playing over in India so I might send one to my mate Michael Clarke and see if there is any banter.

Did the book throw up any surprises for you? Players you didn't expect to pick in the top 100.

"I'm sure there are a couple of players that I could have put in - you have to figure out who they are," The Sun quoted Warne, as saying.

One name that may surprise some fans is Devon Malcolm. A great, but inconsistent performer for England. How did he make it in?

You say that, but on his day, he was a bloody good player. He was fast, bowled outswingers and got good bounce.

Shane Warne's Century: My Top 100 Test Cricketers, is published by Mainstream, priced at 17.99 pound.

ANI