Shane Warne: Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove pays tribute to 'naughty and lovable' spin legend

London: Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove paid tribute to the “naughty and lovable” Shane Warne for reviving the English county’s fortunes following the cricket great’s death on Friday. The outstanding Australia leg-spinner, the first bowler to take 700 Test wickets, captained Hampshire during what was his lone spell as a cricketer in the English domestic game from 2000-07. Bransgrove told Hampshire’s website it was “impossible to exaggerate the impact” the “inspirational leader and brilliant tactician,” had had in establishing the south coast club as a “major force”. Warne was Hampshire’s captain in the early part of a 2005 season where they were runners-up in the County Championship — their best finish in the First-Class competition for 20 years. And the team he helped build went on to win several limited-overs trophies.

But Warne, who died aged 52 of a suspected heart attack in Thailand, never captained Australia in a Test, mainly because of officials’ concerns over his colourful private life. Bransgrove recalled how his friend conducted himself away from cricket by saying: “Off the field, he was competitive, fun, naughty and lovable in equal measure. “He used to say ‘just because I occasionally do stupid things, it doesn’t mean I’m stupid’.” At Hampshire, Warne led a side that included England batsman Kevin Pietersen. But at the start of the 2005 season, Pietersen had still to make his Test debut and Warne publicly campaigned for the gifted South Africa-born shotmaker’s inclusion in the red-ball side. England heeded that advice and gave Pietersen his bow in an Ashes series that culminated with the batsman’s audacious 158, his maiden Test century, in the hosts’ series-clinching draw at the Oval — an innings where he was dropped on 15 by normally reliable slip-fielder Warne. Pietersen responded Friday to the death of Warne, who took a remarkable 40 wickets in that five-match series at an average of under 20 apiece, by tweeting “RIP King”. It was a sentiment echoed by Hampshire and England leg-spinner Mason Crane, one of a generation of bowlers who have been spurred on by Warne to pursue the difficult skill. “Shane Warne made me fall in love with the game as an eight-year-old and he has completely inspired me every day since,” tweeted Crane. “I am so honoured and lucky to have been able to spend time with him and learn from him,” the 25-year-old added. “He was everything I could have asked for and so much more.” Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .