Terry Jenner, the man who encouraged and coached Shane Warne into becoming one of the finest ever Test bowlers has admitted that the leg-spinner may not be quite the force he was.

Talking to the BBC, Jenner admitted that years of service to the Australian cause had taken its toll on Warne, but insisted that the national selectors were right to stick with him for the Ashes tour to England.

Shane Warne Photo © AFP

"I know he's not as good as he was in 1997, but he's still good," Jenner said.

Some believe that Warne was fortunate to be included in the Ashes squad but Jenner reasons: "Steve Waugh always used to say about Shane, form is temporary, class is permanent. He's the greatest leg-spinner ever in the game.

"He resurrected Test cricket when it was on the wane. That ball against Mike Gatting meant that all kids wanted to be like him, but he bowled so much that the wear and tear took its toll."

Warne has been far less successful in Test cricket since his shoulder operation in 1998. His bowling average in this period is over 35, while it rose to more that 50 during the series against India. Stuart MacGill, meanwhile, has a good record against England (27 wickets in four Tests at 17.70) and has a Test average of under 25-runs per wicket in the same period.

But Jenner believes that a few weeks rest, and the spur of winning another Ashes series may be enough to rekindle Warne's best form. "Maybe three or four weeks off can inspire him. The gift that God gave him is special. He loves playing for his country and the one thing he will want to do is beat England," he said.

"If Shane Warne is fit then he doesn't believe he has any peer - and if he's not fit, then he comes back to the field," continued Jenner.

One thing is for sure: England would have been delighted if Warne had been left in Australia. 87 wickets at 24.28 in 18 Tests illustrate how effective he has been against the old enemy, and his form in county cricket last year and in the World Cup the year before that, prove that Warne can still be effective in English conditions.

© CricInfo Ltd.