5 cricketers to get the most emotional farewells in the 21st century

When legendary cricketers bid adieu to the sport it certainly causes a lot of heartache to their fans, not only from his/her own country but also from the entire cricketing fraternity around the world.

The saddest part is that a fan gets so used to seeing them on the television that when he/she retires, it is as if a piece goes missing in the admirers' life. It feels almost unreal as if a storm has shaken you up and the fact is agonizingly hard to digest if one is a die-hard fan.

However, they have to realize that a cricketer or for that matter a player in any sport can not play forever. Today let us celebrate the five cricketers who have received, according to my opinion, the most emotional farewells in recent times.

There are a plethora of options to choose from if we were to compile a list of 5 cricketers so one may agree or disagree with this list. Everyone is welcome to their opinions and can share the names missing from this list in the comments section below citing the reasons why they loved the cricketer so much.

Here is our list.

#5 Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath

There is no doubt that Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are two of the finest bowlers Australia has ever produced. While the former is a spin maestro, the latter befuddled batsman with his ability to swing the ball.

The right-arm leg break spin bowler, Shane Warne had a career spanning 15 years. Controversies aside, he still remains the finest spin bowlers of all time. In the 145 Tests he played, Warne snapped up 708 wickets and set the record before Muttiah Muralitharan overtook him in the same year he retired (2007). Warnie or the Spin King, as he is popularly known, still remains the 2nd highest Test wicket-taker. He even has an impressive 293 wickets in 194 ODI matches. The Australian played his last Test vs England at Sydney Cricket Ground, on January 02, 2007.

Warne was known for his unique slow run-up to the crease as well as generating a lot of spin off the pitch. To add to his exploits in bowling, he was also handy with the bat and his aggressive batting style helped Australia come out of difficult situations multiple times. Warne also led Rajasthan Royals to win the trophy in the inaugural edition of the IPL.

Glenn McGrath

While Warne would come and snap up wickets in the middle overs, Glenn would set the ball rolling for Australia by picking wickets early on. Glenn McGrath is ranked 5th in the list of all-time top wicket-takers in Tests with 563 wickets in 124 matches.

In a career spanning over 14 years, he was one of the most feared bowlers. He was the greatest fast bowlers in Tests until James Anderson overtook him and reached 564 Test wickets in the recently concluded India-England series. The Pigeon, as he is often called, used to keep it simple and frustrate the batsmen. He did not have an extraordinary pace but his precision was just immaculate and he would constantly bowl in all the right areas. Glenn has to his name 29 5-wicket hauls.

One can regard him a legend not only on the field but off it too. He formed the 'The McGrath Foundation' post-retirement, an organization which aids breast cancer patients. A true gentleman indeed.

McGrath, along with legendary Australian batsman Justin Langer, too retired vs England at Sydney Cricket Ground, on January 02, 2007 -- the same match in which Warne had retired. The Australian cricketing fraternity lost three of the most inspirational players on the same day. The entire Sydney Cricket Ground was unsurprisingly in tears.

#4 Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara or simply Sangakkara is undoubtedly one of the greatest wicket-keeper batsmen not only of the 21st century but in the history of cricket.

The 40-year-old has numerous records to his name and is most well-known for forming great partnerships with fellow Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene and wreaking havoc for the opposition's bowlers. He regularly held the number 1 rank in ICC Test Rankings between the years 2005 and 2015.

The 40-year-old was influential in helping Sri Lanka win their maiden 2014 ICC World Twenty20. He was named Test Cricketer of the Year and ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2012 along with being named the ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2011 and 2013.

Sangakarra had an attacking style of play and had a wide array of shots such as -- cut, the pull, and the cover drive -- in his armoury. His ability to hit the ball to all parts of the ground is what made him so feared. Classy shots along with the composure to hold his wicket and score big for his team was another phenomenal trait of his. The left-handed batsman had a whopping average of 57.14 in Test Cricket while he averaged an excellent 41.99 in ODIs and 31.41 in T20Is.

Sangakarra, with 12,400 runs, is sixth on the list of all-time highest scorers in Test cricket, behind the legends Sachin, Ponting, Kallis, Dravid, Cook -- in the same order. Whereas, in ODIs, he is the second highest all-time run-getter with 14,234 runs in 404 innings, behind Sachin.

The top order batsman also held the record for the highest number of stumpings (99) before Mahendra Singh Dhoni managed to surpass him.

The veteran batsman made his Test debut against South Africa at the Galle International Stadium on July 20, 2000. He hung up his boots vs India at the P Sara Oval in August 20, 2015.

#3 Inzamam-ul-Haq

Sachin Tendulkar and Inzamam-ul-Haq

Inzamam-ul-Haq is one of the most respected batsmen in World Cricket of all time. The 48-year-old was influential in shaping the future of Pakistan cricket in his time. The right-handed batsman helped Pakistan come out of extremely tricky situations to procure wins for his team when anyone would have least expected it.

He provided strength to the Pakistani middle order and was one person they could rely on. Always a prolific run-getter, Inzamam's stats speak for themselves. The former Pakistan captain scored a phenomenal 11739 in 350 innings in 378 ODI matches, averaging 39.53. He holds the record for the maximum number of runs for Pakistan in ODIs. While 8830 runs in 120 Test matches with an average of 49.33 makes him the third highest run-getter for the Green Army in Tests.

Inzi had a long and illustrious career spanning over 16 years and his fine batting was extremely memorable for cricketing fans of the time.

#2 Brendon McCullum

New Zealand v Australia

Brendon McCullum was New Zealand's finest wicket keeper and a legendary batsman.

The 36-year-old was a top order batsman and extremely explosive. The Kiwi player favoured the leg side and used to score runs with brisk speed as he used to come out all guns blazing right from the word go. Any cricket fan can not forget his unbeaten knock of 158 for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first match of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. This knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore included as many as 13 sixes and it still considered one of the finest in the history of the IPL.

McCullum was brash and ruthless towards the bowlers. He thrashed the best in the business to all sides of the park. The former Kiwi captain led his team to their maiden World Cup final in 2015. His 6083 runs make him the 4th highest run-getter for New Zealand in ODIs and he is highest on their list of sixes with 200 maximums.

The Kiwi can still be seen in action in T20 leagues around the World. The aggressive player made his ODI debut against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 17, 2002. He bid adieu to the game and played his last Test for the national side against Australia at the Hagley Oval on February 20, 2016. Brendon McCullum scored 100 off 54 balls in his last Test match and that makes him the record holder for the fastest century in Tests.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is the most decorated batsman of all time. Cricket is in his blood and he started representing India when he was merely sixteen years old. Loved across the globe, the 'Master Blaster' has many records to his name and went on to represent India for almost 24 years.

The God of cricket has the most number of runs in ODIs -- 18,426 -- with a batting average of 44.83. He has the most number of runs in Test cricket -- 15,921 -- with a batting average of 53.78. If we take a look at his combined record, then he has 100 100s, 164 50s and 34357 runs in all formats (ODI, T20 and Tests). The list of the records the little master has created is just endless.

SRT is also the most humble and modest of human beings which made him one of the most respected cricketers of all time. The 45-year-old won the 2011 World Cup with the Indian National Cricket team. He is the recipient of India's biggest sporting honour -- the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award along with being adorned with the Arjuna Award, the Padma Shri, and the Padma Vibhushan. The highlight honour came when he was made the 'Bharat Ratna' in 2013 for his insurmountable achievements and contribution to Indian cricket, right after he announced his retirement.

The Right-handed batsman went on to create history and when he came on to bat, the lives of all the Indians stopped and everyone was just glued to their TV sets to stare and admire him. His innumerable achievements still leave people awestruck. Sachin used to bat with such poise, yet he had such a raw aggression that it left spectators dumbfounded. There is only one Sachin Tendulkar and there will always be one. Maybe that is the reason why millions still look up to him and consider him the God of Cricket.

Sachin pulled the plug in ODIs against Pakistan at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on March 18, 2012. His last Test match for India was against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium on Nov 14, 2013. The entire nation wept that day as Sachin delivered his farewell speech.