Warne lands leadership role

Shane Warne will continue his long association with Australian cricket after accepting a 'Leadership in Cricket' position with Cricket Australia.

The leg-spinner's work with Cricket Australia and the state associations will cover a number of areas with a primary focus on spin bowling.

Warne, who retired from international cricket after the Ashes series earlier this year, will be involved in the coaching and development of young spin bowlers as well as working with state captains to ensure that spin bowling is encouraged and used in the correct manner at state level.

This will see him spend time at the CA Centre of Excellence and work with all Australian men’s and women’s squads. He will also be involved in preparations for the Australia Under-19 team before they head to the World Cup in 2008.

"I'm really excited to work with Cricket Australia and give back to the game,” Warne said. “The work I'm going to be doing with young spinners and their state captains is a really important role and I believe I've got a lot to offer.

"I've already had some contact with some youngsters around the country but to be able to work in a structured way with spin bowlers and their captains will hopefully give teams an even greater understanding of how to develop spin bowling talent."

Warne will join the likes of Mark Taylor and Allan Border on Cricket Australia's playing conditions committee which scrutinises playing conditions in Australia and makes recommendations to the International Cricket Council about the development of the game on-field.

He will also play a role in the promotion of cricket, with involvement in game development initiatives such as Milo Have-A-Go at lunch breaks in international matches.

"I've got some thoughts on the game that I can bring to that group," added Warne.

"The initiatives I'll be working on with kids and in the area of Game Development are important and I intend to make a meaningful contribution back into the grass roots of cricket.

"I'm in a different phase of my life now and it's going to be interesting being on the other side of the table and helping to influence and shape the future direction of the game in Australia. I'll be aiming to help get the best result for cricket."

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said: “Shane Warne is someone with a true passion for Australian cricket and when you combine that with his obvious expertise it is a very exciting prospect for Australian cricket.

"While spin bowling will be a focus of Shane's work there are a number of areas he will be involved in.

“Through this role we hope to see Shane Warne's positive impact on Australian cricket continue well into the future."