[Watch]: "From Launceston to the Long Room, we've all been left depleted" - Pat Cummins' moving tribute to Shane Warne
Australian Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins paid a moving and poetic tribute to the late great Shane Warne on his birthday. In a video uploaded, the 31-year-old said the cricketing world has become poor due to the spin wizard's absence and labeled him the greatest bowler ever born.
It emerged on March 4, 2022, that Warne had passed away in Thailand due to cardiac arrest. The tragic death shocked the cricketing fraternity as tributes poured in from far and wide for the legend. A state memorial service for Warne took place on March 30, 2022, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), witnessed by over one million Australians.
In a video released by cricket.com.au, Cummins remembered how Warne cast his spell with some stunning bowling performances during his 15-year tenure in international cricket. While Cummins feels the cricketing world is poor without Warne, he reckons the leggie gave them a lot to cheer about.
"The wickets we can tally up but the emotions we can't measure up, the feelings, the feelings he stirred in us, the simple sense of pleasure. A chubby blonde in cricket whites, he took up the ball in 12 and in 15 years, he cast his spell on the cricket world. He was just a bloke, extraordinary, fallible, and flawed. It meant he felt like one of us, made him all the more adored, which is why he left us grappling, left the cricket world defeated," Cummins said.
"From Launceston to the Long Room, we've all been left depleted. But flip that thought and think instead of how enriched we are by Warne. Let's salute a pure entertainer and to the greatest bowler ever born," he added.
Warne was involved with Fox Cricket as a commentator after retiring.
Shane Warne is still the 2nd highest wicket-taker in Tests
Meanwhile, the Aussie legend remains the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 708 scalps in 145 matches at an average of 25.41. The 52-year-old was also a one-time World Cup winner, playing an integral role in Australia's triumph in 1999.
The final against Pakistan at Lord's saw the wrist-spinner claiming figures of 9-1-33-4 and bagged the Player of the Match award. Furthermore, he captained the Rajasthan Royals to a title victory in the inaugural IPL edition.