Overwhelmed after receiving messages of support from Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, champion leggie Shane Warne thanked the duo, along with innumerable fans, who have been in touch and enjoyed watching him play.
As he took to the field in Sydney for the last Test of his illustrious career, Warne said he had been flooded with messages from all quarters and the flamboyant spinner expressed gratitude to all, including Tendulkar and Lara.
''I have been overwhelmed by the personal messages of support from people in all walks of life. Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, my two greatest opponents, have been in touch, along with John Howard and Russell Crowe.
''I've also had hundreds of notes from people I don't know but who say they have enjoyed watching me play cricket. Thank you,'' an emotional Warne wrote in his column for The Times.
''When I sit back in a week or so and reflect on my career, I'll have an amazing journey to think about. I haven't had a chance yet to do that. Everything has happened so quickly. In fact, it was only a couple of days ago that I finally found the word I had been looking for to describe my emotions since I said I would retire: overwhelming,'' he added.
Elated with the perfect script for a grand end to his career, Warne wants Sydney to be the platform for another retiring Aussie -- Glenn McGrath.
''Melbourne was just incredible. To take my 700th wicket, then bag a five-fer on the first day, score a quick 40, hold a couple of catches and then be named man of the match . . . it couldn't have been better. I can't think that Sydney will live up to that.
''Anyway, this is Glenn McGrath's home farewell. He deserves the stage,'' Warne said of his teammate.
''McGrath has been an absolute champion. In fact, the biggest compliment I could ever pay to (Stuart) Clark is that he looks ready to step into his shoes. And wasn't it Glenn who first predicted a 5-0 win? There'll be no complacency on our part, but for the first time in his life the big fellow might be right,'' Warne said.
Warne, however, is unhappy with people criticising England for the poor show, and thus denying the Aussies their share of the credit.
''It annoys me to read and listen to people being so harsh about England when they ought to be giving us credit for knocking them back. We have had to play really well to set up the scoreline.
''Maybe people expected too much from England. Perhaps they thought that Kevin Pietersen would score brilliant hundreds every time, Freddie Flintoff would bash the ball out of our grounds, Andrew Strauss would hit lots of runs at the top of the order and the bowlers would knock us over with the same plans,'' he said.
''But conditions are different in Australia and we have adapted better. We knew how their batsmen would play and we have planned for them. I think that England have gone for the same plans, thinking that what worked in 2005 would work this time. Meanwhile, we have moved on,'' added Warne.
