Shane Warne: Mike Gatting pays tribute to cricket’s ‘number one’

Mike Gatting hailed Shane Warne as cricket’s “number one” after the death of the Australian great on Friday.

It was Gatting who faced Warne’s ball of the century at Old Trafford in the 1993 Ashes series, a delivery which catapulted the leg-spinner into stardom.

He would finish with 708 Test wickets, only second to Muttiah Muralitharan but his influence on Australia’s all-conquering side across several formats during a 15-year playing career contributed towards a legacy that inspired generations of cricketers.

“Absolutely devastating and I just feel so sad for his family. It is a huge loss to many, many people,” Gatting told Sky Sports News.

“Without a doubt, he is the number one ever. I should think there have been a lot of great cricketers, great spinners and great leg-spinners but Warnie will always be, certainly from my point of view, the number one.

“He had all the things a cricketer needed, a lot of self-confidence, a lot of ability, the discipline, passion and desire.

“Above all he had time to enjoy it. He had great fun playing cricket and resonated with a lot of youngsters. The inspirational leg-spin he bowled I am sure inspired many, many guys to take up leg-spin bowling.”

Named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, it was Warne’s leg break that landed outside of Gatting’s leg stump which spun off the surface and hit the top of off stump almost 30 years ago that got the ball rolling for the Aussie against England.

He claimed 195 Ashes scalps but his maiden wicket against his greatest rivals with his first ever ball in the series is still widely regarded as the moment leg-spin became fashionable again.

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— Michael Vaughan