London [UK], June 3 (ANI): Heart-warming tribute was paid to late Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne during the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lords on Thursday.
As per Sky Sports, the opening day of the Test match was stopped after 23 overs and players and the audience paid tribute to the legend who wore number 23 on his shirt during his playing days with 23-second applause.
Earlier, the main commentary box in the Media Centre was renamed after Warne in a partnership between Marylebone Cricket Club and Sky Sports.
Warne was a popular cricket pundit with Sky Sports following his retirement from the sport. The unveiling of the commentary box was carried out by his colleague and former player Rob Key, who now works as Managing Director of England's men's cricket team.
Key about Warne: "He is just one of the greatest people ever."Former Australia captain Mark Taylor, part of the Sky Sports team in the first test said: "To have a commentary box named after you at Lord's, where you tried to beat the old enemy, is a huge honour. It would not be lost on Warney and certainly would not be lost on his family.""We have lost a great mate and a guy that endeared himself to the English public. They probably started out hating him because he took too many wickets but, by the end, they absolutely loved him. Why would not they? He was a terrific fella and is a great loss to the game. It shows you the fragility of life and that you have got to enjoy it," he added.
Taylor said that Warne was fun to be around.
"I think every player who has played with or against him and every commentator would say that about Warney. He lightened the room, made it fun to play golf, cricket, cards. He played everything to win but everything for fun. I think that is why people right around the world warmed to him. When you walked into a room, you would just notice him. I do not know if it was the teeth or the hair at times - the hair started out red, that's how I remember it!" he added.
The former Aussie batter said that playing with Warne made him a better player and a captain. "When you have a chance to captain someone like Shane Warne you learn things," he added.
Spin legend Warne tragically passed away on March 4 due to a suspected heart attack in Thailand.
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 recognized 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)
