As Shane Warne was lying in agony at the MCG, the shock waves were instantaneously reverberating around world cricket. Make no mistake, in terms of cricket news, this registers a 9.9 on the Richter Scale.

Warne injuring the same right shoulder that he has injured before spells bad news for him and the Australian side. Australia have lost their trump card. A player who every other nation in the world fears and respects in equal measure. Him taking 500 wickets in the Ashes now won't happen.

And he is also highly doubtful to recover in time for the World Cup. This changes the complexion of the 15-man World Cup squad and will force the Australian selectors to reassess their position.

Stuart MacGill should now go to South Africa. He is the second best spinner in Australia - one of the top five in the world. He is a tad expensive but he is a wicket-taker, which ironically is the best way to keep the run rate down. That said, the Australian selectors have told him on many occasions that he has to bring down his economy rate of around five runs an over.

Due to the technical deficiencies most players have facing quality spin bowling, Nathan Hauritz and Cameron White could still work in the World Cup but despite this, including them would be a gamble of massive proportions.

Besides losing Warne the spinner, Australia also loses a handy fielder and their No 8 batsman. The thorny issue of the allrounder's spot has then become a headache of massive proportions as MacGill weakens the Australian batting vis-a-vis Warne. Such being the case, Greg Blewett might win the nod ahead of the incumbent Shane Watson.

Then there are the implications in the longer form of the game that need to be considered. In the Ashes, MacGill vs Warne is 'six of one, half a dozen of the other'. The English can't play leg-spin regardless of who is bowling it. The real point of interest now is that if Australia decides to play two spinners at the SCG, will it be Hauritz or White who makes their Test debut?

As for Warne, regardless of how long it takes him to get back, he shall return - as good as he ever was. What makes him a champion is his heart and a work ethic that is second to none. You can bet on him returning and adding another glorious chapter to his much-celebrated career.

© 2002 David Wiseman

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.