In 1993 at Old Trafford, Manchester, a young blond leg-spinner bowled the ball that was heard around the world. In the years that followed, there were plenty of deliveries that all but matched it. Everyone knows the story, or thinks they do. The bowler who rewrote the record books. One of Wisden's five cricketers of the 20th century. A sporting idol across the globe and a maverick magnet for the tabloids. But the millions of words written and spoken about Shane Warne since his explosive arrival on the Test cricket scene in 1992 have only scratched the surface. His side of the story has largely remained untold.

Passionate and straight-shooting, Shane describe growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne as a football-crazy kid, being raised by parents whose own story tells up much about his desire to succeed, and he takes us all the way down the road to his 700th Test wicket. Along the way are a dodgy bookmaker, a rogue pill, cruel injuries, killer comebacks, spiders and snakes, high-profile friendships and an even higher-profile relationship - alongside Ashes, World Cup and IPL glory. Nothing is off limits. Over the past 18 months, Shane has recorded many hours' worth of conversations with Mark Nicholas, in which he has spoken at length about his remarkable experiences. Rarely has a cricketer looked back so deeply at his life. Perhaps most rivetingly of all, the romantic in him shares the secrets of his beloved art: the art, that is, of leg-spin. It is what he calls 'the adventure of a lifetime' and, as he says, 'Few batsmen, if any, truly know what I do.' A sporting great, an irresistible celebrity, a family man and a self-confessed almost-regular Aussie bloke, in No Spin Shane Warne offers a compelling insight into how a boy from Black Rock changed the face of cricket.

Book jacket.