GLENN McGrath believes that the way Shane Warne is viewed in the Australian cricket team has always differed from external perceptions.

McGrath and Warne have been the most feared bowling combination in world cricket for over a decade.

The lanky McGrath is not the quickest of fast bowlers but his relentless accuracy has made him the nemesis of many batsmen.

Warne is the perfect foil for McGrath, spinning his leg-breaks, googlies, zooters, and flippers, to bamboozle opponents and secure Australia's domination of world cricket.

But, off the field, McGrath insists that Warne's profile puts him in a league of his own.

"In our eyes, you have the team itself and then you have Warnie - and on a different level to the rest of us," McGrath said.

"Sometimes you look at him and think he's in a different sport, because his profile is so big.

"When it comes to being a well-known cricketer, he is just our absolute superstar wherever we go.

"In many respects, he's bigger in places such as England and South Africa than in Australia."

Warne is the only Australian to take more Test and one-day international wickets than McGrath, who made his Test debut in 1993, two years after the Hampshire captain.

After Warne became Test cricket's greatest wicket-taker against India in Chennai last week, McGrath recalled some of his favourite 'Warnie stories' that have contributed to the spin king's legend.

"After we wrapped up the 1997 Ashes series at Trent Bridge, Warnie decided to go out on the balcony and give this stupid little dance to stir up the crowd," McGrath said.

"He knew he was going to cop it from the press but he didn't care, because we had won and he was where he likes to be - in the limelight.

"Warnie loves margherita pizzas, spaghetti bolognaise and, of course, baked beans.

"At a team dinner in Hobart a few years ago at a Japanese restaurant, Warnie looked at the menu, decided there was nothing on it that interested him and ordered a pizza to be delivered to his room.

"That about sums him up, really!"