I guess it's variations in economy rate that matter most: what marks Warne out is the fact that he's generally able to keep a lid on things anywhere in the world.... and even, as we've recently seen, ona day one pitch that offers him absolutly nothing.
As far as I'm aware Warne has hardly EVER been taken to the cleaners: the one case of batsmen having the better of him would presumably be early in his career in India... where he bowled on pitches with no pace and bounce.... and didn't adjust by bowling faster and flatter (as he would now).
Stats wise.. what complicates matters is always going to be the instances in which a player is hit out of an attack: because they bowl fewer overs when getting carted their career figures tend to take less of a hammering. Even so.. the following (>3.75 / over) ain't great:
Code:
O bpo M R W Econ I R Match
32 6 4 121 3 3.78 1 L 1st Test v Aus in Aus 1983/84 at Perth [966]
24 6 2 91 1 3.79 1 W 1st Test v WI in WI 1987/88 at Georgetown [1095]
12.3 6 1 48 1 3.84 1 W 3rd Test v Ind in Pak 1982/83 at Faisalabad [945]
15 6 1 58 1 3.87 2 W 1st Test v WI in Pak 1986/87 at Faisalabad [1055]
16 6 1 63 1 3.94 2 D 5th Test v Ind in Pak 1982/83 at Lahore [947]
25.5 6 4 102 1 3.95 3 W 3rd Test v SL in Pak 1985/86 at Karachi [1028]
22 6 5 87 1 3.95 2 L 3rd Test v Eng in Eng 1982 at Leeds [933]
2 6 0 8 0 4.00 3 D 2nd Test v Ind in Ind 1986/87 at Kolkata [1067]
25 6 1 100 1 4.00 1 D 2nd Test v Eng in Eng 1987 at Lord's [1076]
13 6 1 53 1 4.08 2 D 4th Test v Ind in Ind 1986/87 at Ahmedabad [1071]
18 6 1 75 1 4.17 1 D 3rd Test v WI in Pak 1990/91 at Lahore [1158]
28 6 3 119 1 4.25 4 D 1st Test v Ind in Pak 1989/90 at Karachi [1127]
19 6 2 83 4 4.37 1 D 2nd Test v WI in WI 1987/88 at Port of Spain [1096]
15 6 3 67 4 4.47 1 W 2nd Test v Ind in Pak 1982/83 at Karachi [942]
7 6 1 32 0 4.57 1 W 1st Test v NZ in Pak 1990/91 at Karachi [1151]
4 6 0 19 0 4.75 3 D 3rd Test v WI in Pak 1990/91 at Lahore [1158]
20 6 1 96 1 4.80 1 D 3rd Test v Aus in Aus 1983/84 at Adelaide [970]
3 6 1 16 0 5.33 1 L 3rd Test v Ind in Ind 1979/80 at Mumbai [865]
4 6 1 26 0 6.50 3 D 3rd Test v Aus in Pak 1988/89 at Lahore [1106]
Warne played twice as many Tests.. mostly on unforgiving Aussie wickets... and his horror stories are probably to be found in this lot....
Code:
O M R W Econ I R Match
24.3 7 94 7 3.84 2 W 1st Test v Pak in SL 2002/03 at Colombo (PSS) [1615]
14.3 2 56 2 3.86 4 W 3rd Test v Ind in Ind 2004/05 at Nagpur [1718]
20.3 5 80 2 3.90 4 W 1st Test v NZ in NZ 1999/00 at Auckland [1488]
30 7 122 1 4.07 3 L 1st Test v Ind in Ind 1997/98 at Chennai [1405]
3.2 0 14 0 4.20 3 D 2nd Test v NZ in NZ 2004/05 at Wellington [1742]
12 0 51 0 4.25 2 L 5th Test v WI in Aus 1992/93 at Perth [1212]
21.1 2 90 5 4.25 4 W 2nd Test v SL in SL 2003/04 at Kandy [1688]
26 2 111 4 4.27 3 W 3rd Test v Pak in Aus 2004/05 at Sydney [1731]
13 1 56 1 4.31 3 W 3rd Test v Pak in Aus 1999/00 at Perth [1472]
15.5 2 70 1 4.42 2 L 3rd Test v WI in WI 1998/99 at Bridgetown [1453]
34 3 152 1 4.47 3 L 2nd Test v Ind in Ind 2000/01 at Kolkata [1535]
2 0 9 0 4.50 1 D 2nd Test v Eng in Eng 1997 at Lord's [1370]
25.2 4 116 4 4.58 1 L 2nd Test v Eng in Eng 2005 at Birmingham [1758]
14.5 1 68 4 4.58 1 W 2nd Test v NZ in NZ 1999/00 at Wellington [1491]
13 1 60 0 4.62 3 W 3rd Test v Ind in Aus 1999/00 at Sydney [1481]
12 2 57 2 4.75 1 W 1st Test v WI in WI 1994/95 at Bridgetown [1294]
22 2 107 0 4.86 2 W 1st Test v SL in SL 1992 at Colombo (SSC) [1194]
18 2 89 3 4.94 4 D 1st Test v NZ in Aus 2001/02 at Brisbane [1565]
2 0 11 0 5.50 1 L 4th Test v WI in Aus 1992/93 at Adelaide [1210]
3 0 17 0 5.67 4 L 3rd Test v WI in Aus 1996/97 at Melbourne [1346]
3.5 0 26 0 6.78 4 L 3rd Test v WI in WI 1994/95 at Port of Spain [1296]
6 0 41 0 6.83 4 L 3rd Test v Ind in Ind 2000/01 at Chennai [1539]
I don't suppose every innings in either list represents a horror story: sometimes high economy rates reflect, for instance, 10 men around the bat.. and there are a few on each list where the bowler only sent down 2/3/4 overs! That said... 17% of Abdul Qadir's 111 innings returns figure and just 9% of Warne's 239 innings returns figure - that's a huge difference!