Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath on Tuesday described former teammate and late long-legged athlete Shane Warne as the ultimate competitor.
Warne, one of cricket’s all-time greats, died of a heart attack at the age of 52 in Thailand in March. “It was a pretty tough year. We spent two years in Covid, and then I lost three really close friends. First Rod Marsh and then Warnie. And more recently Andrew Symonds. . It’s tough,” McGrath said during a panel discussion titled – The Role of High Performance Centers in Achieving Sports Excellence at Sportsstar’s South Campus in Chennai.
“Warnie is one of the coolest guys we’ve ever met. He’s just an ordinary guy like the rest, but he has lived an extraordinary life. Off the pitch, he has got himself into a bit of trouble. But on the court, he’s the ultimate opponent. He loves the challenge you get from bowling to the best hitters. Off the court, he also loves the challenge. poker because it’s a one-on-one battle.”
Bharat Arun on how Shami is ready to ‘take on the world’
Warne, who was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricket Players of the Century in Wisden, won 708 test shots in a 15-year career for Australia between 1992 and 2007, and is also an ODI World Cup champion. 1999.
McGrath also recalled an interesting anecdote from the Fourth Test against England in Melbourne 2006. “I remember we just announced our retirement after the 2006-07 series. It was a multi-day exam at the MCG. ,” McGrath said. “It’s Shane’s home ground. Crowd capacity. 95,000. Warnie was in over 699 test matches. He was bowling with Andrew Strauss, the England captain. I remember hitting the mid game. battle, and he came up to me and said, ‘I’m just going to keep it tight for a while or so. Then, next, I’ll toss one up. Strauss will hunt the slogan, and I will throw him through the gate. “I said, ‘That sounds like a pretty good plan to me, Shane. “
McGrath on Tendulkar’s shoulders before being fired: Sachin still thinks it went through the tree stump
“Warnie just knew the game too well. And so he set up Strauss. I don’t know if Straussie heard us, but he wasn’t trying to sweep the tagline. He was trying to whip it through midwicket. And the ball dropped, turned around and Warne threw him through the gate. He was running around. The crowd went up to celebrate. 700 test horns. Totally unbelievable. But it was Shaney. He could. do what i want to end up with a great guy i want to thank him for some of my signs he always says he will thank me for a sign or two To lose him at such a young age of 52… it’s been a pretty horrible year.”
Warne was bid farewell publicly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the site of many of his greatest sporting moments, on March 30. “Anyone who has seen his memorial at the MCG, I think the same thing. That changed a lot of people’s minds,” McGrath said. “They don’t realize what he’s doing behind the scenes. But it’s not publicity what he’s giving back to the community. The humility he has is, for me, a real personality. of a great man. I have yet to come for it.”
