"I didn't realise it had been a year" - Mark Taylor reflects on Shane Warne's death
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor remembered the late Shane Warne on account of his first death anniversary. The New South Wales lad highlighted that it's hard to believe that a year had transpired since the tragic incident that shocked the cricketing fraternity.
March 4 will forever be associated with Warne's death as news emerged from Thailand that he passed away due to a heart attack aged 52. The news of the Victorian's demise came only hours after former chief selector Rod Marsh died. Cricketing superstars from every nation have come forward to pay tribute to the former leggie.
Unbelievable. Shane Warne has died, aged 52 😢
cricket.com.au/news/shane-war…
Speaking to Wide World of Sports, Taylor reflected on Australia's ongoing tour of India and how it sparked memories of Warne, given the spinning pitches. The 52-year-old reckons his loss has left a massive void.
"It's bloody sad. I didn't realise it had been a year, to be honest. It's gone so quickly. I know we all think of Warnie at various times, particularly when you see balls turning so much as they are in India at the moment, because it sparks memories of some of the special things he was able to do on the field. There's no doubt there's a void there, for sure. He had plenty of opinions, and I didn't always agree with all of them, but he had such a love for the game."
Warne was arguably a central figure in Australia's decade-long dominance in world cricket across formats. His 708 wickets in 145 Tests was once the highest in the format and some of his best performances came against England in the Ashes.
"I think he'd be quite chuffed to see what's happening in the game at the moment" - Mark Taylor
Taylor also reckoned that Warne would have been delighted to see the developments in world cricket now, mainly England's attacking brand in Test cricket. He added:
"I think he'd be quite chuffed to see what's happening in the game at the moment, not just the spinners in India, but the way England are playing a better, more exciting brand of cricket. All of that would have delighted Shane, that the players still see Test cricket as the ultimate form of the game, as he did."
Crazy and unbelievable cricket from England. The first team in Test history to chase 250+ targets in four consecutive matches. 277, 296, 299 against New Zealand and now 378 against India. #BazBall
The late cricketer retired from international cricket after the 2006-07 Ashes series in Australia. He played in the IPL for a few years and moved on to work as a commentator for Fox Cricket.