There are some childhood moments that never fade — and for Australian leg-spinner Alana King, one such memory came wrapped in the warmth of a summer’s day, a cricket ball in hand, and the presence of her greatest hero, Shane Warne. She was just 12 years old, part of a group of excited kids at a school or holiday coaching clinic, when she found herself standing before the man who would forever change the art of leg-spin.
She doesn’t recall every detail of the day, but the words Warne spoke have stayed with her, etched deep into her cricketing soul.
“I met Warnie (Shane Warne) when I was about 12 years old, along with a lot of other kids who were there for a school clinic or a school holiday clinic. All I remember — and these words still echo in my career today — is, ‘Spin the ball as hard as you can and do it with a big smile on your face.’”
Words That Became a Lifetime of Inspiration for Alana King
Those few seconds of advice became a lifetime of inspiration. Even now, at 29, every time she loops the ball from her fingers, the intent is the same — to give it rip, and to do it joyfully. But the interaction was fleeting, and she admits she always wished it could have been more. “That’s pretty much the only advice he ever gave me. I would have loved to work with Warnie as my career progressed, but it was not to be,” she reflected.
Instead, King forged her connection with Warne through the television screen. She devoured hours of footage, mesmerised by his craft, and tuned in whenever he was in the commentary box. His words there, too, became a form of mentorship.
“Still, I’ve watched so many tapes and clips of him bowling, and I used to love listening to him in the commentary box. I learned a lot just from hearing him speak. I didn’t even have to be in his presence for him to have a big influence on my career.”
Alana King’s rise in the International Arena
Warne’s spark seemed to light a fire in her career. In 2022, she burst into the international arena in spectacular fashion — making her T20I debut on 20 January against England, her Test debut just seven days later in the one-off Ashes Test, and then her ODI debut on 3 February, also against England. In just 14 days, she had earned her first cap in all three formats of the game. That stunning summer ended with her first Cricket Australia contract in April, a reward for the consistency and threat she brought with the ball.
The 2022 Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand was her stage, and she owned it. King became Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker, claiming 12 scalps in nine matches at 24.50, including a pressure-laden 3 for 64 in the final against England — a performance that played its part in delivering the trophy.
Since then, her record has only grown stronger. In five Tests, she has 13 wickets with a best of 5 for 53. In ODIs, she has claimed 58 wickets in 37 matches, her best being 5 for 46. In the shortest format, she has 27 wickets in 27 T20Is, including an eye-catching 4 for 8.
(Quotes sourced from BBC Sports)
A budding writer, who is trying her level best to do her bit for Women’s cricket.