Shane Warne was a legend of the game, but his career was filled with controversies as well. He was banned from the 2003 World Cup due to doping, and he was also accused of passing information to a bookmaker. Warne also indulged in various fights with players like Steve Waugh, Arjuna Ranatunga, Muttiah Muralitharan, etc.
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Despite his controversial personality, Warne was admired by a lot of players. English batter Kevin Pietersen was one of those guys who always stood tall for the Australian leg-spinner. Pietersen once said that everybody got intimidated by Warne, but he played under him at Hampshire, so he was always comfortable with and against him.
Warne and Pietersen used to play golf together, and Pietersen always said that he used to call Warne by different nicknames as well. Pietersen used to say that he never got any problems in picking Warne, but Warne was a performer, and he always use to create magic in the middle.
When Kevin Pietersen supported Shane Warne despite his controversies
Kevin Pietersen wrote a column in The Guardian, where he talked a lot about Shane Warne. He said that the media has ripped the personality of Warne, but he was a completely opposite guy. Pietersen insisted that Warne was one of those players who always used to guide players and was always positive about his life.
Pietersen called him a superstar and highlighted the various positives of the star leg-spinner. He said that Warne was someone who will fill you with confidence and someone you will always want to hang out with.
“Obviously, he’s one of those people the media have tried to turn into some kind of beast, but actually, in terms of friendliness and politeness, he’s a superstar,” Kevin Pietersen wrote in his column in The Guardian.
“You send him a message, he’ll always reply to you. He’ll always remember names, he’ll always guide you, and he’ll always talk about the positive things in life. He’s never, ever afraid to voice an opinion and he’s never, ever afraid to help, wherever and whatever it is.”
Not just Pietersen was impressed with Warne, but even Warne had a lot of admiration for the star England batter. Warne always used to say that he never sledged Pietersen as he wanted him to do well.
