Shane Warne was a teacher through his commentary - Ricky Ponting
Shane Warne’s unfortunate demise has rattled the cricketing world. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting has labelled him as a ‘teacher through his commentary’.
FollowThe unfortunate news of Australian spin legend Shane Warne passing away is three days old but is yet to sink in. The cricketing world continues to mourn the demise of one of the greatest spinners in the game. In the meantime, his former teammate and skipper Ricky Ponting has vowed that he would do his best to keep the legacy of Warne alive.
Warne was 52 when he died of a suspected heart attack on Friday while holidaying in the Koh Samui island of Thailand with his friends. His body will be sent back to Australia soon, where the Victorian Government has planned for a state funeral in front of a packed capacity crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Meanwhile, Ponting expressed that the incident had staggered him and wished he could have met him for one last time.
ALSO READ: Shane Warne state funeral to take place in front of packed MCG
“He was a teacher through his commentary, and I have seen hundreds of photos over the last 24 hours of all the spinners he worked with. He helped Steve Smith in his younger days, and Rashid Khan has been catching up with him. Just imagine the conversations they would have had,” Ponting told on The ICC Review show.
“So, I feel it is now up to me whenever I get an opportunity just to let the world know what he was like and pass on some of the things I learnt from him. I would say just how much I love him. I didn’t say that to him, and I wish I did,” added an emotional Ponting.
ALSO READ: Warne suffered from chest pains before leaving Australia; bloodstains found in villa
Ponting further explained that it was hard for him to take in the news after his wife told him. He was already coping with the demise of fellow legendary Australian wicketkeeper-batter Rod Marsh, who had died on the same day. He recalled all the memories alongside Warne, including the ICC World Cup triumph and multiple Ashes victories.
“It was scarce for Warney just to be sitting at home. He would always try and find time for his friends and his family, which was one of his great strengths. The more people talk about Shane, the thing that will shine through will be just how loyal he was to family and friends and how loved he was. He had the energy that drew you to him, and that is a trait that not a lot of people have,” Ponting concluded.
