‘Shane Warne is the greatest cricketer I’ve ever seen’ – Steve Harmison pays moving tribute to Australian legend after his sad death as tributes pour in
Tributes poured in for Shane Warne following news of the Australian legend’s death.
Warne was a larger than life figure who took 708 Test wickets for Australia and was beloved by fellow players and fans alike.
He died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 52 and the news was very shocking.
England legend Steve Harmison, who played Warne in the acclaimed 2005 series Ashes, has paid a moving tribute to the legend.
“I got to play against Warney, I got to know his personality and his character and I know him as a friend,” Harmison told talkSPORT.
“He is the greatest cricketer I have ever seen. For me, he is the greatest modern generation cricketer I have seen in my life and maybe just before that.
“The thing about Shane is he was such a great competitor on the pitch and when you did well he was so respectful of the game.
“You saw him shaking people’s hands, clapping when they got 50s and 100s and things like that.
“He was the man who was Shane Warne. It’s so heartbreaking, really.
“He gave so much to this game. He gave so much to this game, he really did.
Harmison remembered that famous Ashes series and how his sportsmanship throughout the series embodied what a big man he was.
“In 2005 he embodied what Shane Warne was,” he added. “A great team in Australia, yes England beat them, but Shane got 40 wickets in this series.
“He was more of a handful with the bat because of the stubbornness he had and what epitomized that was when he had just seen Kevin Pietersen win the Ashes and he hadn’t gone past the 30 yard circle. , Shane Warne was there yelling at him and shaking his hand.
“Australia had lost the Ashes but that was the character of playing against Shane Warne. He gave you a scary amount of stick when you were in combat but was still respectful.
“You listen to him talk about the game and comment, he has lived his whole life for the game of cricket and has given so much to the game of cricket.
“I’m just devastated that he died at the age of 52.”
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