Australia’s lost ‘aura’ would return if Warne comes out of retirement: Flintoff

MELBOURNE - Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has said Australia is not in a position to win a Test without the help of Shane Warne, and has asked the legendary leg-spinner to consider coming out of retirement.

Assessing his one-time Ashes rivals, Flintoff said that the Australian cricket side is in “disarray” and won’t recover unless Warne uses his match-winning ability.

Warne played his last Test against England nearly four years ago, but Flintoff is sure that the spin great can reinvigorate the ailing Aussies.

Flintoff said Australia’s lost “aura” would return if Warne decided to don the baggy green again, the Daily Mail reports.

“I’d love to see Warnie play again, it would be unbelievable. He’ll talk it up but if he doesn’t think he can come in and perform as he did before he stopped playing Test cricket, I don’t think he’ll put himself out there to do it - but I hope he does,” he said.

“Warne’s aura would bring something to the side, he’d make a difference in the dressing room. They’re missing that bloke to give the rest confidence - for 15 years, the guy who did that was Shane Warne,” Flintoff said.

Warne with 708 wickets in 145 Tests did not totally extinguish talk of a return to the Australian side writing in his column in London’s The Daily Telegraph, but the chances of him bowling for Australia again are extremely low.

Warne had said in 2008 that he would have considered making a dramatic Test comeback for the 2009 Ashes defence in England if called on by Ponting. (ANI)