Shane Warne

Shane Warne is a cricketing legend, and he is the reason why there are so many people who are hooked into watching cricket! His personality, talent and energy are all irreplaceable and he has left a huge void after his sudden death that occurred at the beginning of the month.

What he will be remembered for in particular is his iconic ‘Ball of the Century’. This Ball of the Century was the way in which Warne propelled his name into all conversations regarding cricket.

For those who are unaware, Warne was one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time and he was a huge part of overturning the domination of cricket fast-bowling cricket that prevailed for two decades before he burst onto the scene.

It was in sunny England in the first Ashes test at Old Trafford where this iconic delivery occurred. It was his first ball in the Ashes of 1993 which bowled out England opener Mike Gatting, kicking off Warne and Australia’s dominance of Test cricket.

The beautiful delivery was from then on known as the Ball of the Century, marking the revival of leg spin bowling.

The Aussie bowler took an incredible 708 wickets in just 154 Test matches for his country and in 2005 he broke the record of the number of wickets taken in one calendar year with a staggering 96 wickets to his name. Another record he set was that he was the first ever cricketer to reach 700 test wickets which is an incredible milestone.

Warne was named one of the five Wisden cricketers of the century in 2000 alongside fellow greats of the game; Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Sir Viv Richards. Warne is the second highest wicket-taker in Test Cricket history, emphasising his brilliance.

After Shane Warne’s retirement he was a frequent face on television and the King of Spin, as he is known became a regular commentator and pundit for cricket coverage worldwide.

The death of Shane Warne has truly touched the cricket community and all those who watched his spectacular deliveries, but his legacy will continue for years to come. He inspired so many and the influence that he had on the sport will certainly never be forgotten.

Warne’s state funeral will take place on the 30th of this month and this momentous service is to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. It is being organised by the federal and Victorian governments, Cricket Australia and Shane’s family. A fitting tribute to a cricketing legend.

As Daniel Andrews perfectly put it: “Shane Warne didn’t just inspire a cricket generation - he defined it.” Shane Warne, 1969-2022 (aged 52)