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Warne joins England in race for the comeback of 2004

Shane Warne's successful return from a one-year drugs ban and England's 2004 unbeaten streak have earned nominations for the 2005 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award

Cricinfo staff
09-Mar-2005


Shane Warne announces his positive test to a diuretic before Australia's first match of the 2003 World Cup © Reuters
Shane Warne's successful return from a one-year drugs ban and England's 2004 unbeaten streak have earned nominations for the 2005 Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award. The Laureus Awards are dubbed the "Oscars of Sport", and the cricket representatives will line up alongside a cast including the golfer John Daly, England's long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe, and the Italian Alessandro Zanardi, who returned to motor racing after losing both legs in a crash.
Ian Botham, a Laureus World Sports Academy member, said Warne and England deserved the recognition. "Shane is simply the best legspinner in the world, he is an exceptional talent, a genuine matchwinner," he said. "England were the only side in Test cricket to be unbeaten for the whole calendar year. That was a remarkable performance."
Warne was banned in February 2003 for taking a diuretic he claimed was given to him by his mother, but immediately made an impact once the suspension ended. Warne passed Muttiah Muralitharan's world record in India, and finished 2004 with 75 wickets in 13 Tests.
England, whose past results were a regular source of jokes for the rest of the cricket world, produced a stunning run of 11 wins in 12 Tests, including eight in a row, and registered series victories over West Indies (twice), New Zealand and South Africa. The winner of the 2005 award, which is voted for by sports journalists, will be announced in Portugal on May 16.