NEW DELHI: Shane Warne could not replicate the fairytale success of 2008 in his final season with the Rajasthan Royals but the flamboyant Australian walked away from the Indian Premier League (IPL) last week with his aura as a brilliant leader firmly intact. Three years ago, the burly 41-year-old tweaker galvanised the least expensive of the original eight franchises to an inaugural IPL victory, vindicating those who maintained Warne was the best captain Australia never had on a long-term basis. As captain of the national side, Warne won 10 of the 11 one-day internationals he oversaw but was never given the chance of an extended tenure at the helm, something many attribute to his off-field indiscretions, including a failed drug test in 2003. However, his IPL teammates had nothing but positive things to say about the Australian widely credited with reviving leg-spin and some even attribute their success to man who retired from test cricket with 708 wickets. "I'm going to miss him definitely. I guess whoever played under him would miss him," Rajasthan paceman Pankaj Singh said. The words of praise are even more remarkable considering the 26-year-old could have been justified in feeling slightly aggrieved after Warne fielded him in just one match in this year's IPL, where Rajasthan finished sixth. " Life is not easy if you have to sit out but he made sure we remain motivated. He would come and discuss team strategy and tell us the reason why we were being left out. He would encourage us to keep practicing hard." Warne's brand of captaincy, however, was much more than just that of a motivational speaker. His own first class career spanning two decades may not have been spotless but Warne the captain had novel ways to maintain dressing room discipline. "It started in 2009 when he came up with this idea of making anyone who broke his rules carry a pink doll for 24 hours," said Pankaj, who played his only one-day international last year but is eyeing an India recall. "On some days, more than one player would be nominated for the pink doll. I was a couple of times but fortunately never had to actually carry the doll."
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