By Avenash Ramzan
“It came as a total shock; I was speechless for a while,” said former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan as he reacted to the sudden passing of Australian legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne on Friday.
Warne, 52, was discovered unresponsive in his villa in Thailand, suspected to have died from a heart attack.
“Warney has left his mark on the game and the world,” Sarwan told News Room Sport.
“For me personally playing against him the few times I did, it was a real privilege, knowing that you’re playing against one of the greatest spin bowlers that ever played the game.”
The former West Indies captain said Warne’s variation was a standout from the other spinners of his time.
“And of course that aggressiveness that he had as a spinner, whether verbally or when he bowled. At times he came across way more aggressive than the fast bowlers,” Sarwan reflected.
“One thing for sure, he played the game hard, but fair and I think that this something you must admire.”
“Today is a very, very sad day for the cricketing world and for his family and friends.”
Warne’s 15-year international career yielded 708 wickets from 145 Test matches and 293 wickets from 194 One-Day Internationals.
He is widely regarded as the greatest leg-spinner to have ever played the game.
