Shane Warne – A genius on the field and a King off the field passes away at just 52

“Live Life King Size”, these are just mere words that hardly anyone can follow in their life but then there was Shane Warne, who lived every inch of his life like that. The flamboyant Shane Warne was one of THE people who you want to go to a party with but in the field, even after his retirement, you wouldn’t want to face him. What he did throughout his playing days is create magic. There are players who bowl well, there are players who take unbelievable wickets and then there are players who bowl the ball of the century. Shane Warne belongs to the last category and it speaks of his greatness.

It’s been more than 12 hours but it is still hard to come to terms with the fact that the legend Shane Warne is no more among us. As a fan of the game, one will always miss him broadcasting a match. He was an honest man and was afraid of nothing and created a lot of controversies over the years. Yet, he was loved by one and all. Harsha Bhogle rightly pointed out his love for the game. Whether an Australian or anyone else, Warnie was always there to help any player across the border. He helped Kuldeep Yadav during his lean patch and used to get very excited every time Jadeja came to bowl or even bat. In a time when there’s a fierce competition among players, Warnie became more than the game.

After his demise, there are so many players that came forward and said that they grew up idolising Shane Warne. This is the biggest achievement of his career. The hundreds of wickets, winning World titles, Winning Ashes and all come second. There’s hardly any kid in India who didn’t try to imitate Warne in gully cricket. Warne was one of a kind. Someone, who taught us that nothing is impossible if you choose the correct path.

For example, who would have thought Rajasthan can win the title in the first edition of the Indian T20 League? He picked up young Indian players from anywhere he got, groomed them, gave them certain responsibilities and they won him the prestigious trophy. He was the wolf of the jungle who might not be the strongest one but the sharpest one. The biggest reason behind his success is his brain and how he used it to dominate batsmen all over the world.

He is no longer with us but one thing can be said with absolute certainty that a lot of young cricketers can still learn a lot by watching his videos and lessons that’s there in many social media sites. This is the legacy that the great Australian will leave behind. Rest in Peace, Spin Wizard.