SHANE Warne insists he is bowling as well as the day he retired as the leg-spinner continues to toy with the idea of a Test comeback. The former Hampshire captain, left, maintains his form has been good enough to be able to have an impact in the longest form of the game.

Warne, 43, has not played Test cricket since his retirement in early 2007 and remains only a long-shot chance to return to the international fray in time for next year’s Ashes series.

But Australia’s all-time leading wicket-taker has yet to rule out a Test comeback and said his dismal spell of 0-41 off two overs for Melbourne Stars in their t20 Big Bash clash against cross-city rivals Renegades last Friday wasn’t a true indication of his form.

“It’s hard to gauge that sort of form. You can say, ‘Well, he’s getting smacked around’, but it’s a completely different form of the game. You bowl differently in Twenty20,” he said.

“I’ve been bowling as good as I have since I retired from international cricket, which was five or six years ago.

“At the moment I’m just concentrating on the Stars – I want to get us involved in the competition.

“And if it gets to the serious stage about that stuff… there’s obviously a process. “There’s grade cricket, there’s state cricket, and then you have to get selected, too.

“So there’s a lot of things to happen before it even gets to the serious stage of a serious chat about it.”

Warne bounced back yesterday to skipper the Stars to a 10-wicket Duckworth Lewis method victory over a Perth Scorchers side captained by his ex-Hampshire colleague Simon Katich.

He took 1-9 off three overs as Perth were skittled for just 69, Katich out for a third ball duck.

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