Shane Warne fit to make Big Bash League debut: Melbourne Stars coach

Melbourne Stars coach Greg Shipperd has said that he saw enough from spin legend Shane Warne during a 15-minute practice spell to be confident of selecting him for the team’s Twenty20 Big Bash League opener on Saturday.

The practice session came after Warne, who was nursing burns to his right hand, saw his surgeon yesterday and had his bandage removed.

“He had 15 minutes in the middle, bowled 30 to 40 balls and he felt fine. But let’s see how his fingers [cope with that workload], what reaction we have from that,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Shipperd, as saying. 

“Certainly before I’d seen him bowl there was concern, but that’s lessened significantly after seeing him go through today. But I’m not his hand, I’m not the nerve endings that are dealing with whatever he is dealing with,” he added.

Warne had posted a photo on Twitter of his hand, showing large blisters on three of his fingers with his little finger the worst affected.

The 42-year-old had earlier retired from all forms of cricket in May following the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Melbourne Stars will play Sydney Thunder at the MCG as part of the opening weekend of the Twenty20 Big Bash League.