Shane Warne was a cricket star, but his famous friends most remember him for his 'big heart'

The tributes — and the grief — came from everywhere.

From his former teammates and the who's who of the cricketing world, yes. But when the news broke that Shane Warne had died, the shock and sadness also poured from prime ministers, media giants, actors, knighted musicians and socialites.

Warne was a man who spent as much time on the front page of newspapers and in celebrity magazines as he did in the sporting section.

The rolling out of the red carpet for Warne was a natural consequence of his immense talent and showmanship on the cricket pitch.

But Warne had something else, too. Australian icon Magda Szubanski told Channel 7 «it's a charisma that can't be bunged on, that people either have or they don't».

Warne had it. And it drew others into his orbit. 

Media and sporting personality Eddie McGuire told ABC Radio Melbourne in the days after Warne's death that his close friend reminded him «of the kids in Enid Blyton's The Faraway Tree».

«They lived a normal life. They were great kids and then every now and again they climb the faraway tree,» he said.

«And in Warnie's case it would be on to the MCG taking a hat-trick or going out for dinner with Mick Jagger and having Elton John dedicate songs and invite him over and introduce him to Elizabeth Hurley.»

It wasundeniably Warne's cricketing prowess that opened doors to parties and events filled with famous names.

He often said he wasn't prepared for what would happen after the 1993 «ball of the century» propelled him into a limelight only occupied by sportspeople at the very top of the game.

Whether he was prepared for it or not, he was, and is, a household name. His former teammate Damien Fleming told 7 «famous people wanted to be around Warnie» when the Australian test team was at