Rahul Dravid could have even been called 'The fortress'

Legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne writes in his book that former Indian captain Rahul Dravid could have even been called 'The fortress' instead of 'The Wall'.

"Indian people love to give their cricket heroes a nickname. As these things go, Rahul Dravid being known as 'The Wall' is pretty much spot on. 'The fortress' could also describe Rahul. Because once, Dravid was set, you needed the bowling equivalent of a dozen cannon firing all at once to blast him down," he wrote in 'Shane Warne's Century'.

Warne added that it seemed as if former Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq batted with toothpick.

"Inzamam was a huge great bear of a man who looked as though he was batting with a toothpick. The stumps always seemed very small when he was at the crease - that's if you could see any of them behind his frame."

Warne's imagination, however, was followed by a lot of praise for Inzamam whom he perceived as a genial personality.

"Anybody underestimating him at first sight soon realised that his appearance was really deceptive. He was one of the most identifiable batsmen in the world, but he was comfortable in his big-boned frame.

"He was really a good slip fielder, probably he didn't fancy patrolling the covers for too long. But when he did, he had a rocket arm. Away from the game, he comes across as being very relaxed and just as easy-going. He even speaks slowly, but he is good fun to be around and is the sort of guy who can make you laugh," Warnie wrote in his book.

With his funny bone active, Warne did not even spare his former captains Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh and was brutally honest in penning his views on them.

"There was nothing fancy about Mark Taylor. He had wonderful leadership skills and excellent communication, but his main weakness was his terrible dress sense - the shirts he used to wear were horrendous, although Steve Waugh's were worse."

Merv Hughes was another Aussie who could not escape Warne's minute observations.

"The image I will take most from the 1993 Ashes is not Mike Gatting's puzzled face at the Old Trafford, but of Hughes sitting in the dressing room at the Oval after the last Test, staring out like a zombie and covered in ice packs to keep down the swelling after his last input in the memorable series...

"He had ice on both knees and on his shoulders, groin and back... If we had been called out to take a couple of more wickets, Hughes would have been the first through the door of the dressing-room. For (captain) Allan Border, he was a dream."

However, a high regard was in store for David Boon. "If you were building a perfect model of the bloke you would want to wear our Baggy Green Cap, he would bear pretty strong resemblance to David Boon: tough, uncompromising, defiant and proud."

Warne was tickled to know that burly former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga idolised Allan Border.

"It was funny to see him puffing and panting after a chase. He once said that he based his game and attitude on Allan Border. Border would be horrified to know that," he said.

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