Haigh's judicious use of statistics show how McGrath and Warne relied on each other, and that somewhat surprisingly McGill was a much more successful bowler in tandem with Warne, whereas Warne suffered in the partnership. Not only does Haigh describe with perfection the technical skill of Warne, he perfectly encapsulates his gamesmanship, his competitiveness, and the aura he built about himself, which made him a most formidable opponent.Warne's relations with Australian cricket are dealt with in The men of Warne, via his relationships with a few key people - Glen McGrath, Stuart McGill, Steve Waugh and John Buchanan. If you don't know anything about Warne, about why he is possibly the best cricketer ever, one only needs to read this section, and it will become clear. Haigh's description of Warne's time at the Academy puts the lie to the generally accepted view that Warne was a disruptive influence, but does explain how cricket found Warne, rather than the other way around.The second section of the book, The art of Warne, is perhaps the finest piece of cricket writing ever printed. Other reports throughout the book bear out this image of a polite suburban boy, who wants to be liked. Divided into five sections - The making of Warne, The art of Warne, The men of Warne, The trials of Warne, The sport of Warne - Haigh has written a paen to Warne's ability as a bowler, an essay on other important players of Warne's era, an expose of the short-sightedness of Cricket Australia and other administrative bodies, and somewhat of a polemic against the shallowness and prurience of the media.The opening pages of the book relate Haigh's first meeting with Warne - Haigh making the point that the media image of the man is not necessarily accurate - where he found him polite, helpful, and only too happy to chat for hours. As always in his writings, Haigh is incisive, thoughtful, and wide-ranging in his insights.Not a biography of Shane Warne, On Warne is more a meditation on Warne the player, Warne the man, and on the "business" of cricket and fame. This may be the best cricket book ever written - it is the best I've read for a long long time (in fact since The Cricket War, also written by Haigh).
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