Rashid Khan recalled a brief training session with the late Shane Warne.© AFP
The cricket club is still reeling from the massive loss of legendary spinner Shane Warne and everyone is dealing with the grief in their own way. Afghan spinner Rashid Khan has always been candid about how he looked up to Warne as an idol. Rashid, who will play for Gujarat Titans in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, recalled a 15-minute training session with Warne in 2019 during a test match between Australia and New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
“The passing of Shane Warne is a huge loss to the cricket world. It was a huge shock. I had a great time with him, it was huge for me that he called me to the MCG to have a 15 minute session with him during the lunch break of the Australia-New Zealand test. I was lucky enough to share the session with him and I learned so much from him. We had discussions about how I will be more effective in the longest format. He shared like to share his own experiences with me, he discussed the main points of mine and how mindset is important,” Rashid said during a media interaction on Tuesday.
“All he told me is that I don’t have to change anything. He just told me to be consistent. He told me sometimes I get wickets and sometimes you don’t get it for 30-40 overs, but that will be. time that I will be really put to the test mentally and physically,” he continued.
Rashid also spoke about how he always wanted Warne to be the head coach in his career, but he didn’t get the chance. “I was really looking forward to having him as head coach and spending some time with him. It was my dream, it’s a huge loss and everyone will miss him.”
Warne’s state funeral is scheduled for March 30. The legendary Australian cricketer died on March 4 from a heart attack in Thailand. Warne’s death at the age of 52 sent shockwaves to the cricket world.
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Rashid, meanwhile, was one of three players picked up by Gujarat Titans for the mega sale. The other two players were Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill.
IPL 2022 kicks off on March 26 with the tournament opener played between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. Gujarat Titans will play their first game on March 28 against the Lucknow Super Giants.
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