Haven't seen a better bowler than Warne, says Madan Lal
Mar 05, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 5 : Former Indian pacer Madan Lal condoled the demise of legendary Shane Warne, saying he has never seen a better bowler than the leg-spinner.
The entire cricketing world is in a state of shock at the loss of Shane Warne, a true cricketing genius who died of suspected heart attack at 52.
"Very shocking news it is unbelievable to hear that he is not with us anymore and these types of news come as a shock and we ourselves get tensed. This news has shaken the cricket world. So, it is very sad news as he was not that old. He was only 52. We used to love listening to his commentary when he used to voice his views. He was a very straightforward person and there were a lot of things I liked about him," Lal told ANI.
"He was the greatest leg spinner of all time. The kind of wickets he took and the way he took his wickets. People still watch it on YouTube and his bowling action and variety he had in his bowling leg-spin, topspin and googly were amazing. I have not seen a better bowler than him," he added.
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.
"India is a cricket-loving country. Any big cricketer like Shane Warne, Greg Chappell or Ian Chappell of Australia. Dennis Lillee was loved by our cricket fans and remembered. His friendship with Sachin Tendulkar and the fans also used to love the rivalry between the two. Some used to watch Sachin's batting and some Warne's bowling. So, the competition was a healthy one. Our fans love any international cricketer who has done well," said Lal.
"Rajasthan people would be shocked because he won the first IPL when he was captain of Rajasthan and Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne rivalry were always be watched by millions," he added.
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.
Shane 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.