Indian PM Narendra Modi praises the late Shane Warne in moving speech

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined the long list of those who have honoured the late Shane Warne since his passing over a year ago, claiming his death felt like losing “one of our own”.

While speaking at a community event in Sydney on Tuesday, May 23 alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Modi spoke of the “profound” cricketing connection between Australia and India while speaking of the sadness his nation felt when Warne passed away.

“Our cricket relations go back 75 years. Our off-the-field friendship is as profound as the interesting cricket matches on the cricket field,” he said.

“It’s not only in moments of joy that we stand together, but a true friend is also there in times of sorrow.

“Last year, when the great Shane Warne passed away, millions of Indians mourned along with Australia.

“It felt as if we had lost one of our own.”

Warne passed away at the age of 52 while holidaying on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand on March 4, 2022.

Warne’s management released a statement at the time acknowledging the tragedy.

“Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” the statement said.

“The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course.”

Earlier this year friends and family came together to pay tribute to the late sporting icon, a year on from the sudden passing.

Following the first anniversary of his death, Warne’s son Jackson was among the first to pay tribute with a touching post to Instagram.

“1 year ago today. Miss you mate, love Jacko,” he wrote.

 

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A post shared by Jackson Warne (@jacksonwarne18)

Warne’s youngest daughter, Summer, also took to social media to honour her father on the anniversary of his passing, admitting that she has been doing her best to move forward without her father.

“1 year ago, one of the people that I love most in the whole entire world left and went to heaven ???? My beautiful dad,” she began.

“I miss you just about every second of every day.

“I’m still trying to navigate life without you here, trying my best to live in a world without you in it.

“I miss you when I laugh and cry because you were always the one that made my laughter grow, and my tears disappear. I miss the memories we will never get to have. I hold you close within my heart, and there you shall remain, until the day that we meet again.

“I love you. SJ.”

 

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A post shared by Summer Warne (@summerwarne)

Warne, widely considered one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history, played his first Test match in 1992 and took over 1,000 wickets in Tests and One-Day Internationals over the course of his career. Warne’s 708 Test wickets from 145 tests was the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket until 2007.

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack recognised Shane’s incredible sporting achievements by naming him as one of its Five Cricketers of the Twentieth Century alongside fellow cricket icons Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Sir Vivian Richards. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2013.

It is said by many that Warne revolutionised cricket with his mastery of the leg-spin, which, back in 1994, many cricket followers had come to regard as a dying art due to its immense difficulty of execution.