Legendary leg spinner Shane Warne will join some of the greatest names of cricket when he is inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame on Monday night in Melbourne.
Warne has courted various controversies on and of the field during his cricketing days, which ruined his chances of being captain of Australian.
But despite the failed drugs test and multiple sex scandals, a nine-man committee, which includes former captains Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry, has voted unanimously to induct the champion bowler into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame chairman David Crow said Warne's achievements are unparalleled, and added that he has served as an inspiration for new generation of spin bowlers.
"Shane Warne's contribution to cricket has been enormous. He revived leg-spin, combining accuracy with variety and enormous turn, even on unhelpful pitches," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Crow, as saying.
"Beyond his phenomenal record, Shane Warne changed the way cricket was played and has inspired a new generation of cricketers worldwide to take up the challenging craft of spin bowling," Crow added.
Warne was the first player to take 700 Test wickets and was selected as one of only five Wisden Cricketers of the Century in 2000.
He termed his induction in the esteemed hall of fame as a 'massive honor' for him.
Warne said: "When you look back, so many wonderful players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. To be mentioned in the same breath as some of those cricketers who have already been inducted, and to be inducted so soon after my international retirement, is a great privilege."
"To be joining such a small company is something I'm very proud of," he added.
