'Warnie was larger than life': Glenn McGrath condoles demise of legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne

The tragic demise of legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne left his fans and friends devastated. Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath on Saturday condoled the demise of his friend and colleague Warne.

Former Australian cricketer breathed his last at Samujana Villas in Koh Samui Island in Thailand on Friday.

"Just absolutely devastated today. Warnie was larger than life. I thought nothing could ever happen to him. He lived more in his life than most people would live in 20. He was the ultimate competitor. He thought the game was never lost, that he could turn it around & bring us to victory, which he did so many times," wrote McGrath on Instagram.

"I think he lived his life the same way. There seemed to be never a dull moment. He was a great mate & a loving father. He loved his kids so much & my thoughts are with Brooke, Jackson & Summer. My thoughts are also with Keith, Bridgette & Jason. Rest In Peace my good mate, there'll never again be anyone like you," he added.

McGrath and Warne had retired from Test cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in 2007. The duo is recognised as one of the most lethal bowling combinations to ever play together in the history of the sport.

Warne was one of the most influential cricketers in history. He almost single-handedly reinvented the art of leg-spin when he burst onto the international scene in the early 1990s, and by the time he retired from international cricket in 2007, he had become the first bowler to reach 700 Test wickets.

A central figure in Australia's ICC Cricket World Cup triumph in 1999, when he was player of the match in both the semi-final and the final, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack recognised Shane's achievements by naming him as one of its Five Cricketers of the Twentieth Century.

Warne finished his international career with 708 Test wickets and a further 293 in One-Day Internationals, placing him second in the list of all-time international wicket-takers behind his great friend and rival Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka (1,347). Shane also captained Australia in 11 One-Day Internationals, winning 10 and losing just once.

(ANI)

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