Hailing Shane Warne as the most caring and loyal person he had ever come across, Australia’s Australia's star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell recently revealed how the late spinner reached out to him during his tough phase.

Widely regarded as the greatest spinner of all time, Warne died of a suspected heart attack on March 4, 2022 at the age of 53. He was found unresponsive in his villa in Thailand and couldn’t be revived despite the best efforts of medical staff.

"He is probably the most giving and loyal person that I've probably ever met. Generous not just with what he did with his charity work but generous with his knowledge and time," Maxwell said while speaking on the RCB Season 2 Podcast.

"He actively sought out young spinners during their warm-ups to talk them through different skill sets and trying to help them to be the best version of themselves.

"Everyone felt like they had a connection instantly because that's the way he made you feel, he makes you feel like your best friend straightaway," he added.

Shane Warne played 145 Tests and 194 ODIs between 1992 and 2007 and claimed a total of 1001 wickets during his illustrious career. He also played a key role in Australia’s 1999 World Cup triumph.

Beyond those legendary numbers, Warner was a kind man and Maxwell shared an anecdote of his generosity.  

"I suppose, post cricket hours, I was so lucky to be able to play some golf with him, chat to him off the field, talk to him on the phone. He cared a lot. Once he saw me before one of the Big Bash games, just walking around. We had a small chat and I sort of… I wouldn't say I brushed him but I sort of just walked away.

"He messaged me afterwards: 'Are you alright?' And he checked in a couple of times. And then the fourth time I finally opened up. And so I said, this is what's going on. He goes, mate, just take it easy, take a break, do whatever you need to do. I'm always here for you," said Maxwell.

Glenn Maxwell was roped in by RCB at the IPL auction in 2021 he instantly made an impact, amassing more than 500 runs in the season.

Despite his impressive show, the Aussie swashbuckler had flutters before the IPL 2022 mega auction and a call from RCB’s Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson calmed him down.

"You never know what's gonna happen because it's a big auction. And like, with how many people they were going to retain and we had, obviously, a couple of bowlers — Siraj, Harshal, Yuzi (Chahal), then AB (de Villiers), Virat, and those young Indian players, and all could have been retained at some stage.

"So to retain an overseas batter, sometimes isn't the smartest move. It seems straightforward, but in my head, there was obviously a lot more I had to go through and when I got the phone call that I was gonna be retained, I was pumped and couldn't wait to stick around," said Maxwell.

In IPL 2022, Maxwell played a key role in RCB's play-offs entry, scoring 301 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of 169.

(With PTI Inputs)