Shane Warne once chose cigarettes over underwear, socks, recalls Michael Clarke

Former Australian men’s cricket team captain Michael Clarke revealed that legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne nearly caused “World War 5” for picking his cigarettes over essentials such as socks and underwear during a training camp before the 2006 Ashes series against England.

Clarke was speaking on Sky Sports Radios’ Big Sports Breakfast show, recalling the time when players were supposed to take part in a three-day training camp in the Australian outback and were asked to take only basic essentials. However, Warne chose cigarettes over that and refused to take part in the camp if he was denied his smokes.

“For someone like Warnie who loved a smoke, he pretty much told them he is not coming unless he can bring his smokes. It was World War five,” Clarke said.

Warne was even given a choice by then coach John Buchanan, who told the spinner that for each pack of cigarettes he took, he would have to leave an item behind. But Warne chose to forego his underwear and socks among other things for six cigarette packs.

“Warnie flicked his three pairs of undies, flicked his three pairs of socks and put six packs of darts in and off we went. In the middle of the bush, sleeping bag only, no cover, no shelter, on the ground and it was pitch black. All you could see was this orange light coming out of someone’s sleeping bag and it was Warnie just sucking his dart back,” Clarke said.

Warne took 23 wickets in the Ashes that year as Australia swept the series 5-0.

Clarke also revealed that the relationship between Warne and Buchanan was difficult, and the former didn’t respect the coach during his seven-year tenure.

“The fact him and John didn’t get on and Warnie didn’t respect John Buchanan as a coach at all, that he thought I’m not getting told what to do from this dude.”

“If it was Ricky Ponting there, Warnie would have found a way to either bite his tongue or he might have said something to Ricky one-on-one, it wouldn’t have been in front of everyone. At that stage, Warnie was so done with John Buchanan he didn’t care,” Clarke said.