A real shocking piece of news earlier this afternoon, at a time when news has rather lost its power to shock.
He was the best, on and off the field, and also probably my favourite person to listen to in the commentary box.
The term legend is often over-used, but for me he really was one, and will remain one too.
RIP Warney, and some Pommie love to your family & loved ones etc.
I was fortunate enough to be at the Oval on the last day of the Ashes series in 2005. Warne was fielding in front of the stand where I was sitting. He had dropped a slip catch and England were heading towards the draw that would ensure the Ashes were regained.
Naturally he was getting a certain amount of stick from a well-oiled crowd, but his reactions soon won them over. A real champion.
The portrait of him in the pavilion at Lordās captures him brilliantly. It seems to show him eyeing up an incoming batsman, with a friendly but absolutely intimidating stare.
I was in the gym today when I saw this on my phone when having a wee break. At first I thought it was some mistake or confusion with the sad death of Rod Marsh yesterday.
Absolutely gutted. He was instrumental in revitalising Test cricket, leg spin bowling, and also played the game in the right way. Yes, he got tore into people in the Aussie way, but he was always smilingā¦sometimes the smiling assassin though! I watched quite recently one of his master class spin bowling coaching clinics and it demonstrated someone absolutely in mastery of his art, as he went through the full repertoire of legspin, googly, topspinner, flipper. Unless youāve tried this, you really donāt know how technically challenging it is.
Yes, he was a ālarrikinā at times, and probably did things he regretted off the field too, but his commentary was razor sharp technically.
RIP Shane Warne - wish Iād had a chance to keep wicket to you! 
If you have Amazon Prime thereās a biopic of the Great Man
He was, although itās an over-used word, very authentic IMO; what you saw was what you got etc. He didnāt seem to hide his fondness for excess and his fondness for people, while at the same time being utterly deadly at his art. Unusual in this day & age of manufactured and managed personas etc, I think.
As the Barmy Army sang at Lords that same final test in 2005, āWe wish you were Englishā. Not many Ozzies can have had that said about them :~}
My abiding memory of Shane Warne was when he trotted over to Kevin Pietersen at the Oval in 2005 as he was walking back to the pavilion after his match saving 158. Warne shook him warmly by the hand and congratulated him on his extraordinay innings.
Warne was as great a bowler as he was a true sportsman.
With the demands of today I doubt we will ever see the likes of him again. A true master of his art and a razor sharp mind on commentary. As I believe was said, āthe best captain the Aussies never hadā. RIP Warney
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