Australian cricket legend Ian Healy has revealed the hilarious backstory to Shane Warne’s iconic Basit Ali dismissal where he bowled him around the legs in the last over of the day.
In the aftermath of Warne’s tragic passing at just 52, two of his former teammates Mark Taylor and Healy chose to lift some spirits with the hilarious anecdote about one of Warne’s most memorable wickets.
“Heals, can you tell us what you said to Warnie because I’m never sure you have told us the truth about the Basit Ali dismissal at the SCG,” Taylor said on Fox Cricket’s Shane Warne tribute special.
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“Last ball of day three, Basit Ali was just sort of blocking everything and Warnie was around the wicket.
“You went up and said something to him and then he bowled him through his legs. Come on be truthful tell us what you said to him.”
Healy revealed Warne was purely engaging in some old fashioned gamesmanship rather than seriously asking Healy how to get Ali out.
“Even you have got the story mixed up now,” Healy replied.
“I wanted to get off the field more than Basit Ali. But as you know Basit Ali was the biggest time waster there was.
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“So here was Warnie’s chance to keep him out there four more minutes than he wanted to be out there.
“So he called me up most deliveries that over. He said, Heals come up here and I said no I want to get off the field too, I’ve had a long day.
“So he finally got me about the fourth ball I reckon and we stood there and said nothing. I said Warnie what are you doing? And he said, nah I’ve just got to keep him out here this bloke.
“He said well what do I bowl? I said just rip a leggy. There was no need to talk about what we were doing for dinner that night because I knew that.
“It would be lasagne without mushrooms or a tropicana pizza or we are going to McDonalds to get three cheeseburgers and take the patties out.
“So as I’m walking out I said rip a leggy and only Warne could do it. It pitched outside leg and it goes between the legs hits the stumps and I finally get off the field.”