Australian legend Shane Warne has revealed about how he almost retired from cricket, before his 12-month doping ban refreshed him. The spinner was given a one-year ban by Australian Cricket Board due to a positive drug test on the eve of the 2003 World Cup.
He was prevented from training at the board's facilities or any of the government-owned ones during his suspension, which he feels gave him the much-needed rest.
Speaking to Fox Cricket's A Week With Warnie, "It was a tough one because the government obviously funds Cricket Australia. I was told by Cricket Australia that I could not train at any facility at all, whether it was club cricket, a normal cricket ground, anything."
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"I started to think am I going to give the game away? I got pretty low with things. Pretty disappointed. I've done so much in the game. I'm not happy with everything the way it was, so that break did me good."
Then after a family trip to Spain, Warne began to practice his leggies against brother and actor Glenn Robbins, as he was banned from bowling to professional batsmen.
"A mate of a mate had an indoor cricket school in the middle of woop woop, Dandenong maybe," he said.
"It opened up early at 6am and I'd bowl to my brother (and) Glenn Robins. I wasn't allowed to bowl to anyone (professional)."
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"I only did that for a couple of weeks before going on tour, so I basically did not bowl for a year."
The Aussie would return from his ban in heroic manner, winning his side's Player of the Series in a 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in 2004.
