Shane Warne and Elizabeth Hurley split up because both found the relationship too "hard"

When questioned on why they broke up, he said: "[It was] Nothing specific. Nothing she did wrong, or I did wrong. It just didn't pan out.

"Relationships are hard. Really hard. They shouldn't be, but they are. Tough. Always an interesting dinner conversation: are two people meant to be together for the rest of their lives?"

Although the couple struggled to find time to see each other due to their hectic careers, Shane insisted "scheduling" wasn't the only factor which led to their split.

He explained: "It wasn't just scheduling. When we first met, she was basically not doing anything. She was a farmer. And I had retired from international cricket. But then Elizabeth went back to work, shooting movies and TV series. I was playing cricket and poker. She was going to America, doing her breast cancer awareness stuff for Estee Lauder. I had my poker, I had cricket commentary. I had children in Australia, so just putting all that into the mix. The number of whiteboards we had about travelling.

"So the reason we split up, it wasn't just scheduling. It just shouldn't be that hard."

Nevertheless, the 45-year-old sportsman - who is still in contact with 'The Royals' actress - still looks back on their time together with fondness.

When asked if their relationship was the "real deal", he said: "Yeah! We hit it off straightaway. Fell in love, got engaged."

And when questioned on whether it was true love, he told The Times magazine: "Yes. We both went, bang! We just got on really well. We giggled. We had a laugh. We got each other."