Wisden – known as the “cricketers’ Bible” – is publishing an article about Australia’s search for a spinner to replace Shane Warne.

The article will also look back on what might have been for other spinners if Warne was not so successful, and former Victorian leg-spinner Howard is the starting point for the story.

Now a wily off-spinner and hard-hitting lower-order batsman for the Suns in the Bendigo District Cricket Association, Howard began his Sheffield Shield career as an 18-year-old in 1992 – two years after Warne’s debut.

Warne is widely-credited with making spin-bowling fashionable again after an era dominated by pace-bowlers.

If Howard had not been struck down by injuries early in his first-class career, the duo could have played many matches together.

“I played five or six games with Warnie, which was rare at the time having two leg-spinners playing together,” Howard said.

“I was always quite comfortable when we were bowling together. I never felt miles out of my depth but, mentally, he was just a genius.”

Howard was surprised to hear he would be mentioned in Wisden, but he has already received high-praise from the man who knows Warne and his bowling better than anyone – former Victorian wicketkeeper Darren Berry.

Berry said in his autobiography he would have picked Howard in his all-time best team if it wasn’t for Warne’s outstanding record.

Wrist, shoulder, finger and knee operations curtailed Howard’s career after he bowled too many overs for his skinny frame to handle.

“I was often bowling 45 overs straight in a day – which was too much bowling,” Howard said. “It took its toll, because I didn’t have enough muscle on my bones.”

Howard barely played a game of cricket for three years, and after operations on his fingers and wrist he lost all feeling in his fingers.

He could bowl off-spin but not leg-spin and John Scholes, the Victorian state coach at the time, liked what he saw and encouraged Howard to stick with the off-breaks.

“I was close to getting back in with the Vics as an off-spinner,” Howard said. “That was my goal, once I couldn’t do that I gave up basically.”

At 38, Howard is still an important player in BDCA cricket after moving to the city for a “tree-change” six years ago.

He has won two BDCA Cricketer of the Year awards on his way to helping the Suns win a drought-breaking premiership last season.