There have been a couple of weeks of mourning around the cricketing world, as all fans of the sport were shocked and saddened following the sudden passing of Shane Warne. An article originally published at Truebluecasinos.org shared the news of his passing, as the star that transcended the sport passed away following a heart attack while on vacation in Thailand.
However, his legacy will live on for years to come, as stories of his most famous moments will continue to inspire the next generation of cricketing stars from around the globe.
Warne’s Lasting Legacy
Warne’s legacy on a cricketing field will be forever unmatched. He will be remembered as one of the best bowlers in the history of the sport. His achievements with the ball were honored by a panel of cricketing experts in 2000, as he was named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. That was an incredible achievement considering that he was the only one named that was still playing the sport.
He was one of the most feared bowlers on the international stage, and claimed more than 1,000 wickets across the Test and ODI formats. In total, he took 708 wickets in test matches, which was a record for the most wickets taken before the record was broken in 2007. His list of accolades continues, as he was named as the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in both 1997 and 2004.
He Wasn’t All About Bowling
While his bowling was the trait that made him famous, he also more than played his part with the bat throughout his career. Warne typically went in as a low-order batsman, and scored a respectable 3,000 test runs during his long career. However, he never hit a century, but did come agonizingly close when scoring 99. That sees him hold the quirky record of being the highest-scoring batsman in test history without scoring a century.
While it was his performances on the international stage that ensured that he got the eyes of the cricketing world, he still performed consistently in domestic cricket throughout his career. In Australia, he played for Victoria, his home state. Meanwhile, he was also a regular player for Hampshire in English domestic cricket, and also captained the side between 2005 and 2007.
Later Career
Warne decided to call time on his illustrious international career at the conclusion of the 2006-07 Ashes test. Australia won the series, with the legendary spin bowler playing his last test on January 2nd. That was a fitting end to his international career, and came exactly 15 years to the day when he made his first test appearance for Australia against India in 1992.
However, after calling time on his international career, he still continued to play the sport that he loved.
He was named in Australia’s greatest ever ODI team, and then went on to play in the illustrious Indian Premier League for the first four years of existence. Warne would win the inaugural IPL title with the Rajasthan Royals, before playing in the IPL until 2011. His love affair with the IPL would continue in 2018, as he was named as a team mentor for the Royals, as they reached the playoffs.
After retiring, his dedication to the sport was also evident, as he would join the London Spirit in the inaugural year of The Hundred in the United Kingdom. Many current stars still point to Warne as a mentor, with many also claiming that he inspired their careers with his trademark leg spin, which revolutionized the art of bowling in the sport.
Australia Bids Farewell To An Icon
Australia bid farewell to one of its greatest icons on March 30th. The cricketing legend’s state funeral took place at Melbourne Cricket Ground, and around 50,000 people were estimated to be in attendance. Due to his standing in sport, his funeral also featured performances from some of the biggest stars, including Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, and Ed Sheeran.
Eddie McGuire, a close friend of Warne throughout his life, announced in a press conference prior to the event that the funeral will be the ‘greatest show on earth’. As well as performances from some of the biggest stars, a host of celebrities attended to bid farewell to the legend.
Among those included Hugh Jackman, Sachin Tendulkar, and Russell Crowe. It was also recently revealed that Warne will be honored with Australia’s highest posthumous award on the Queen’s Birthday Honors List.
