Shane Warne has been the most glamorous, and arguably the best cricketer in the world for the past ten years. He has won a generation of followers by showing the fun to be had in bamboozling opponents. From the so-called 'ball of the century' that bowled Mike Gatting in 1993, to his single-handed defiance against England in the 2005 Ashes series, even those who aren't cricket fans have fallen under his magical spell. He is an enigma, a showman and a genius, but he is also a very human character with human frailties. As tough physically as he is mentally, Warne has survived major surgery on his hand and shoulder to send down more balls in Test cricket, and claim more wickets, than any bowler in history. His successes and failures - his genius - are rooted in his deep understanding of people - how they operate, their strengths and weaknesses. Warne loves the limelight, but the limelight has also burned him. He's got into trouble over drugs, extra-marital affairs, and taking money from dodgy bookmakers; all of which have soured his relationship with his family and with his homeland.

It is an irony that he is perhaps more loved by cricket fans in England than in his native Australia. Sunday Times cricket correspondent Simon Wilde draws on his encounters with Warne and many of his teammates and opponents to reveal a unique and fascinating portrait of this flawed genius as he nears retirement from an extraordinary career in international cricket.