“The lowest point in my life was the 2005 Ashes series”: Shane Warne admits divorce with wife Simone Callahan as one of the toughest period of his life

Shane Warne admits divorce with wife Simone Callahan was one of the toughest phases in his life as an Australian cricketer.

One of the most decorated Cricketers in Australian Cricketing history, Shane Warne had a career marred with many unfortunate incidents and controversies. Be it his fallout with other cricketers, or receiving bribes from an Indian bookie, or a failed drug Test during the 2003 World Cup, the legendary leg-spinner had always dominated news and headlines during his playing days.

One such incident also occurred a few days before the famous 2005 Ashes series, when Warne’s split with his then wife Simone Callahan, had become a highly publicized event.

Warne’s marriage with Callahan, a Yoga instructor, lasted for ten years before the duo split in 2005.

Shane spoke candidly about his divorce while commentating for Foxtel at the Australia versus England Ashes Test on Sunday, describing that period of his life as ‘really tough’. Taking the blame upon himself for the ugly fallout, Warne didn’t hold himself back to admit how tough it was for him to compete in the Ashes series of 2015.

Shane Warne admits divorce with wife Simone Callahan was one of the toughest phases

Admitting how difficult his life was post the divorce, Warne exclaimed, “Getting divorced was a difficult time in my life and for my children, and it was my fault. So I have to live with that for the rest of my life, it wasn’t easy.”

“[We divorced] a week before the [2005] Ashes series [and so] I’d have to drag myself off the canvas to get out there and play in against a quality England side,” he further continued.

He further reminisced how he had to constantly endure the jibes from the English Cricket fans regarding his divorce.

“[They chanted] for six hours a day, not just ten minutes, singing songs [like] “Where’s your missus gone?”‘, he stated.

The divorce meant that the 52-year-old had to bade farewell to his children just a week later after them having arrived to meet him during their school holidays.

“It’s not easy when your personal life is always in the papers and it has been for 30 years. I wasn’t going to pull out of an Ashes series. The kids wanted me to play, so I did. But that was a really tough time.

“It was the only Ashes I played in that we lost and it was probably one of the greatest series of all time. I did pretty well with the bat and ball. I was pretty proud of my own achievement given the personal hardship and tough personal situation I was in,” Warne stated.

Warne shares three children with his ex-wife Simone Callahan – Brooke, 23, Jackson, 22, and Summer, 20.