Ponting reveals long-term plan behind current decline

IF Jeff Fenech and The Pixies can do it, it shouldn't come as a shock
that Shane Warne is planning a comeback. Still, hearing the news that
Warnie wants to play Test cricket again is a little like being told the
ex who dumped you fancies giving it another go: it's exciting at
first and you know there'll be good times ahead, but the potential
for heartbreak is huge.

If Stuart MacGill 'falls over and
breaks his leg' in a year's time, the greatest bowler this country
has produced is prepared to revive the Test career that apparently
ended on a note nearing perfection against England at the SCG on
January 5, 2007. But just for one series, against England for the 2009
Ashes.

Warne doesn't need the money. Nor is his legacy missing
anything. In fact, his reputation stands to lose more than it could
gain. Warne has already achieved the extraordinary. It's possible he
could outdo himself yet again, but it's also possible he could return
a pale imitation, a parody, of the great Test cricketer he was. Even
something slightly less than excellent would be a let-down. Sport is
littered with examples of the once-mighty who go to the well one more
time only to drown in their own avarice. For every Michael Jordan story
of triumph, there are tales of Joe Bugner, Martina Hingis, Fraser
Gehrig and Might And Power that highlight the dangers of revisiting the
past.

Warne has hardly been inactive in his 'retirement', it
must be noted. He's spent another season captaining Hampshire and
more recently has been rolling his arm over in reassuringly impressive
fashion for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. But a return
to the rigours of Test cricket, having supposedly said his final
goodbye to the baggy green, would count as a shock comeback. Warne will
be pushing 40 when Australia's Ashes squad ventures to England. The
fact he wants to play a one-off series when most cricketers are long
retired is telling of his passion for Ashes cricket, and more so his
very personal interest in keeping the old enemy under the cosh.

It's
a nice story, but the chance of Australia taking Warne's bait is
close to zero. Ricky Ponting, the captain, has said as much, throwing
his weight behind the incumbent. Warne's age wouldn't be an issue
'" MacGill is only a year his junior, and over the years Test cricket
has hosted over 100 quadragenarians - and let's not kid ourselves:
Warne would probably do a better job than whomever Australia play as
they spinner in England. If the 2009 Ashes were to be the last series
of Test cricket for good, you'd play him in a heartbeat. But it
isn't, and Australia have a future to plan for.

By that token,
picking MacGill would seem a similarly redundant proposition. But there
is a key difference between Warne and MacGill: one has retired from
international cricket, the other has not. There is still time for one
of Australia's new breed to put his hand up '" and followers of
Australian cricket are desperately hoping one will '" but by and large
they are a disappointing lot. The likes of Dan Cullen, Beau Casson and
Cullen Bailey have each looked likely in the past, but none is remotely
ready for an Ashes series.

So, at this stage, we are left with
MacGill. Plenty could change between now and next July, but one thing
that should stay the same is Warne's place in the past. Some things,
even those as brilliant as the Test career of Shane Warne, should be
left to lie.