With the news that Shane Warne suddenly passed away aged 52, the cricket world has come together to remember one of the best players Australia has ever produced. The emergence of the Aussies’ success in cricket was largely down to Warne, dubbed the King of Spin and perhaps the best bowler to have played the game.
Having come into the spotlight in the early 1990s, Warne enjoyed a glittering 15-year career, one in which he overcame injuries and bans to serve as Australia’s vice-captain and win a plethora of accolades, now the cricket world mourns the loss of one of their own. Following his private funeral held in Melbourne, we celebrate the best moments of his career.
There was a touch of class as both the West Indies and England players observed a minute’s silence for Warne at the start of the month, and it’s clear what an influence he had on so many careers with the influx of kind messages that came through after the news of his passing had come out.
“He was full of goodness. I have great on-field experience with him. He is a year younger so it doesn’t make any sense.” Stuart Law, former Australia batsman said : “He had a zest for life and played cricket on the field so dedicatedly. Off the field, he was looking for a stress-free life and there is nothing wrong with this”.
“He is the genius of his time. Leg spinning is probably the hardest part of cricket to master. He not only mastered it, but he also took the mickey out of it. He was the guy you turned to win you the game.”
Warne’s career was one defined by success. He spent seven years at Hampshire, who now have a stand in his honour at Ageas Bowl, after their former captain took 276 first-class wickets and helped the South Coast side to win the 2005 Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, despite being regarded as underdogs against Warwickshire in the cricket betting.
He arrived as their overseas player in 2000 and was deemed to be a real ‘rock star’ by former opener Jimmy Adams, who shared many great memories with the Australian over the years.
“You need to celebrate someone like Warney,” Adams said. “You would walk into places with him and it felt like a VIP. It must have been challenging for him. There must have been times when he wanted his own space but he was unable to get it. He obviously revelled in that side of him too but you could see how all that affected him at times as well.”
“He just had something about him, something like a magnetic aura. We’re all feeling down here. He was an extremely interesting person to be with. He just had a personality that very few have.”
In terms of international cricket, Warne won the 1999 World Cup on British shores against Pakistan after hitting ‘the ball of the century’ also known as the Hatting Ball in the first test of the 1993 Ashes against England. He was at his best in 2006 and produced a fantastic display as the Aussies ran out unlikely winners in Adelaide against England in the second Ashes test, before being named in the Australian hall of fame in 2012 after retiring.
Warne’s legacy will live on, and his statue — laced with lager cans and photos — will be a constant reminder of how influential he was on Australian cricket.
