Former England cricketer Mike Gatting is
‘absolutely devastated’ by the news of Shane Warne’s passing. Gatting in his
tribute to Warne, who passed away at the age of 52 on Friday, hailed him as
cricket’s ‘number one’ star.

Also Read: Shane Warne: The man who breathed life into dying art of leg-spin

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

Warne would finish his career 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.

Also Read: Australia legend Shane Warne’s life in pictures

“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,” added
Gatting.

Also Read: Shane Warne controversies: From drugs to affairs

“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,” Gatting further
said.

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 sharply and shattered the stumps to the absolute astonishment
of the England batter. Gatting was absolutely clueless about what happened as
Australian players marched into celebration.

Also Read: What made Shane Warne the spin king

Warne 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.

“When it came down I knew it was a leg
break but I didn’t expect it to spin that much. When we often spoke about it, I
am not sure he expected it to spin that much,” said Gatting.

Also Read: When Shane Warne was banned for a year

“He said he just tried to get it down the
other end the best he could. Well, it was a bit too good for me,” he added.