- Georgie Parker’s take on X was divisive to say the least
- Parker lauded outstanding Aussie leg-spinner Alana King
Former Aussie hockey player turned media identity Georgie Parker has outraged cricket fans after she compared the feats of Shane Warne to current star women’s leg-spinner Alana King.
Parker, a self-confessed cricket tragic, tweeted her belief that many of Warne’s 708 Test wickets were ‘pies’ – better known as poor deliveries.
Her post on X began: ‘Gonna upset some men here. He was the best we’ve had, but a lot of Warnie’s wickets were pies.
‘The best get wickets with them because you stress the batter out and make them play dumb shots.’
Parker’s controversial post on X featured vision of King bowling England’s best player Nat Sciver-Brunt in a recent T20 match with a ball some fans are still raving about.
Others have gone a step further online, comparing King’s wicket to Warne’s iconic ‘Ball of the Century’ against Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes series.
Former Aussie hockey player turned media identity Georgie Parker has outraged some cricket fans after she compared the late Shane Warne to current women’s leg-spinner Alana King
Parker, a self-confessed cricket tragic, tweeted her belief that many of Warne’s 708 Test wickets were ‘pies’ – better known as poor deliveries – before praising Alana King
It followed Alana King dominating England in the Ashes – with her delivery to England’s best player Nat Sciver-Brunt in a recent T20 match still a talking point
Comparisons to Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’ in 1993 have annoyed some fans (Warne is pictured after taking his 700th Test wicket at the MCG)
Parker represented Australia in hockey across more than 100 matches before turning her attention to playing AFLW with Collingwood
Warne passed away in 2022 when on a holiday in Thailand, with his death shocking the nation (pictured, with former partner Liz Hurley)
In what would have come as no surprise to Parker, the backlash to her tweet was severe.
‘That ball she [King] got the wicket with turned a heap, but it was the lack of pace and bounce that did the batsman. I’m saying it was luck over skill,’ one said in response.
A second stated: ‘Goodness me, this is a ridiculous take. Warne was a master, the best the sport has and will ever see.’
A third weighed in with: ‘I don’t agree about Warne. Accuracy is what put him at the forefront of all other leg-spinners and I’d be surprised if more than 10 per cent of his wickets came from long hops or full tosses.’
King, 29, made her debut for Australia in 2022 – and impressed in all three formats recently against England, with nine wickets in two ODI matches.
She has previously won Commonwealth Games gold, the ODI World Cup in 2022 and the T20 World Cup in 2023.
The leg-spinner has previously stated Warne was her inspiration as a youngster – and was elated after representing Australia in the Ashes.
‘I played a lot of cricket here [The Junction in Melbourne] growing up and even started off my professional career at Victoria, so this place will always be pretty special to me,’ King said.
‘Also having the Shane Warne Stand here now, it was pretty surreal.’
