Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya paid rich tributes to Shane Warne, whose memorial service took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia on Wednesday.

Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, the 52-year-old ex-all rounder Jayasuriya said, "As Sri Lankans we will never forget his role during the Tsunami. He was among the first to show up and help rebuild lives".





"Shane Warne was ahead of his time. He inspired a new generation of cricketers and took the world by storm. On the field he was ruthless and competitive. Off the field he was one of the nicest people I had the honor of knowing".

"The world of cricket will truly miss this genius especially at a time his knowledge is most needed for the game".

"A Champion cricketer and a Gem of a person, may his soul be at peace", he concluded.