Former England all-rounder Adam Hollioake who was born in Melbourne, Australia recalled the sledging episode involving leg-spinner, Shane Warne, when he made his Test debut in the 1997 Ashes series in the UK which the Australians won.
Hollioake had a good limited-overs series against the Aussies and thus was picked for the Test series as well. While speaking to The Grade Cricketer podcast, the all-rounder recalled how he was prepared to get sledged by some of the stars of Australian cricket.
“I knew when I came out to bat, I’m gonna get it. You just know it. You’ve got (Ian) Healy wicketkeeping, (Mark) Taylor at first slip, Mark Waugh at second slip, Warnie at third slip, Steve Waugh in the gully, you’re going to get it, aren’t you?” the right-hand batsman said on The Grade Cricketer podcast.
While the Englishman believed that the Aussies will let him take his guard first before going at him, but Hollioake was surprised after hearing what they said even before he could take his guard.
“I thought they might let me take guard first. (They said) ‘Here he is playing his first game for England, all his family back in Australia wishing he was playing for Australia - Uncle Rex’. Then they said ‘Aunty Jan’. I was like, ‘How the hell do you guys know Aunty Jan?'," the 49-year-old said.
“All I can go to in my mind is, I knew Warnie was a bit of a womanizer at the time, I was like, ‘Has Warnie been with my Aunty Jan?’ As I faced my first ball in Test cricket that’s all I can think about. My first ball is just a blur. I’m just trying to solve the puzzle, has Warnie been around to see my Aunty Jan?” he added.
Hollioake played 4 Tests in his career in which he scored 65 runs with 2 wickets to his name. He also played 35 ODIs in which he scored 606 runs along with 32 wickets.
