Cullinan claims he was never Warne’s ‘bunny’

Former Proteas cricketer Daryll Cullinan said he wasn’t vulnerable to Shane Warne‘s googly despite stats proving otherwise.

Warne, who passed away last year after suffering a heart attack, dismissed Cullinan 12 times in 29 matches in ODIs and Tests. The former Aussie spinner dominated Cullinan mentally and physically in the 90s which led Allan Border to say ‘It got to the stage where Cullinan should have worn bunny ears out to bat’.

Cullinan though, said he didn’t do too badly against the late spinner.

“One of my defence..Well I played well against him in Australia in One Day cricket which no one gives me credit for. I think I was one of the most successful South African batsmen in terms of One Day Internationals against Australia..Two Man of the Matches, Cullinan siad in his interview with The Cricket Nomad podcast.

Cullinan insists he had his good moments against Shane Warne

“In terms of Test cricket, there was a lot of focus. I just arrived on the first tour in Australia at the back of breaking a South African record of 337.”

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The former Multiply Titans captain said he had a heat stroke during that Australian tour which affected his performance allowing Warne to take ‘advantage’. He said the media overhyped the whole Cullinan/Warne saga.

“For me, the abilty to play into the spin, ability to swipe him to get off strike, I wasn’t doing that, I was always taught to play with the spin and that type of thing and no doubt it become a mental thing. He had a stanglehold over me. In terms of Test cricket, I only played four test(against Warne) in the end. I can always argue ‘I had only one test away from getting that sorted our’.”

In Warne’s autobiography published back in 2001, the spinner said Cullinan was fragile.

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“Certain batsmen are vulnerable — Daryll Cullinan more than most. We have had a lot of success against him before the South Africans toured in 1997-98.

“Just before the start of the series there was a double-page feature in an Australian newspaper in which he revealed how he had seen a psychiatrist to help him overcome Shane Warne and the Aussies.

“I couldn’t believe it. I knew Daryll was a bit fragile at times, but never imagined he would go to a shrink to learn how to read a googly.

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“The first Test at Melbourne finally dawned. Adam Bacher fell to a fine slip catch by Mark Taylor and my old mate walked out gingerly.

“I let him take guard before saying, ‘Daryll, I’ve waited so long for this moment and I’m going to send you straight back to that leather couch.’

A couple balls later I bowled him for a duck. He was more embarrassed than anything else, but those words had clearly unsettled him, and he didn’t take any further part in the Test series.”

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