Life that is no less than a Bollywood blockbuster

The life of Australia's greatest bowler Shane Keith Warne is as much about the way he bamboozled batsmen on the field as it is about his much publicised off-field antics. Eddie Perfect — a renowned Australian theatrical innovator decided to stitch this into a musical spoof — a warts-and-all account of Warne's career.

"If you've done some silly things which he admits to having done, he's kind of open for theatrical treatment," says Neil Armfield, director of Shane Warne - The Musical.

"Shane Warne's life can be defined by extremes," says Eddie Perfect, who portrays the role of Warne. "We have got extreme things like success and failure, shame and redemption. Success and love and loss and exotic locations and drugs and sex."

The 39-year-old who retired from international cricket a year ago initially had reservations about how the musical would depict his controversial life. But after watching the outcome himself Warne was rather pleased. After all, the producers of the show had no intentions of offending their icon.

"I think that I have an ethical right to do this because Australia has lived with Shane Warne for what has been 16 years," Perfect says. "We have invested in him. He has been in our living rooms, in our hearts, he has created sporting history for us, he has created headlines."

The greatest showman in cricket with another hit behind him.