On the back of the sudden passing of Australian cricket great Shane Warne on Friday, tributes have begun to pour in from many members of the global cricket fraternity.
West Indies batting legend Brian Lara had many battles with Warne on the pitch during their careers. He was rendered speechless by the news.
“Heartbroken and speechless at the moment. I literally don’t know how to sum up this situation. My friend is gone!!!,” Lara said on Instagram.
“We have lost one of the greatest sportsmen of all time!! My condolences go out to his family. RIP Warnie!! You will be missed,” he added.
Lara played against Australia in 31 test matches from 1992-2005 and made 2856 runs at an average of 51.00 with nine centuries and 11 fifties.
Another all-time great, Sachin Tendulkar, also reacted with shock to news of Warne’s death on Instagram.
“Shocked, stunned and miserable…Will miss you, Warnie. There was never a dull moment with you around, on or off the field. Will always treasure our on-field duels and off-field banter. You always had a special place for India and Indians had a special place for you. Gone too young!”
Tendulkar also had a long history of battles with Warne, playing against Australia in 39 tests from 1991-2013, amassing 3630 runs at an average of 55.00 with 11 centuries and 16 fifties.
West Indian great Sir Viv Richards never played against Warne but was a part of the Melbourne Stars Australian Big Bash League franchise at one point with him.
“Unbelievable. I am shocked to the core. This can’t be true. There are no words to describe how I feel right now. A huge loss for cricket,” Richards said on Twitter.
Legendary English all-rounder Ian Botham mourned the loss of the Australian spinner.
“I’ve lost a great friend on and off the playing field. RIP Warnster,” he said on Twitter.
Warne leaves behind an untouchable legacy in the sport, finishing his career in 2007 with 708 wickets in 145 Tests and 293 wickets in 194 ODIs.