"Everyone Wanted To Be Like Shane Warne": Gautam Gambhir Recalls His Time From Australian Cricket Academy As An 18-Year-Old

Former Australia cricketer Shane Warne died at the age of 52 last week. The news came as a shock to many and tributes have continued to pour in ever since for one of the greatest players to have ever played the game of cricket. Former India batter Gautam Gambhir has also paid his tribute to Warne, reminiscing his time at the Australian cricket academy as an 18-year-old. While speaking on Star Sports, Gambhir recalled how every player at the academy, whether a fast bowler or batter, wanted to become like Warne.

"I remember when I went to the Australian cricket academy, I was 18-year-old. BCCI used to send three players every year for the Border-Gavaskar scholarship. So, when we went to the academy in Adelaide, there was not even a single player who didn't want to become like Shane Warne. Everyone wanted to be like Shane Warne," the former India opener said.

While highlighting the names of other Australian legends like Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden, Gambhir said that Warne was a "typical Australian" everyone wanted to be like at the academy.

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"There were other great (Australian) players like Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden. But, if you asked them what did they want to become from those 40 players, everybody used to say Shane Warne. Such was the impact of that player (Shane Warne). Even the fast bowlers and the batters wanted to become Shane Warne. He was just that typical Australian everyone wanted to be," he added.

Warne, who had made his debut for Australia in 1992 during a Test in Sydney against India, remains as the second-highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket, having bagged 708 wickets in 145 Tests.