close_game
close_game

'I was shocked. Still doesn't seem quite real': Ponting breaks down in tears in emotional tribute to Shane Warne - WATCH

Mar 06, 2022 08:46 AM IST

Ponting admitted that he was shocked just like any other ardent fan of the game and added that it still been able to deal with the news.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting couldn't hold back tears in his emotional tribute to former teammate and Aussie cricket legend Shane Warne, who passed away on Friday of a suspected heart attack while holidaying in Thailand. 

Ricky Ponting can't hold back tears in emotional tribute to Shane Warne
Ricky Ponting can't hold back tears in emotional tribute to Shane Warne

Warne, 52, was found unresponsive by his friends at the villa in the island of Koh Samui and they failed to revive him despite their frantic attempts. He was eventually pronounced dead at a local hospital. 

Speaking on Warne, Ponting admitted that he was shocked just like any other ardent fan of the game and added that it still been able to deal with the news.

ALSO READ: 'He would've got more wickets': Legendary spinner makes big claim about Shane Warne, 'I was always going to play longer'

“I was shocked I think like probably the rest of the world. I mean I've got the messages when I woke up this morning. I went to bed last night knowing that I had to take my daughters for netball and then was confronted with what didn't seem quite real at that time and even now probably doesn't really seem like it's real either so I've had a few hours now to digest it all and think about how a part of my life he was and reflect on a lot of those memories through the years,” he said.  

Ponting also hailed Warne as one of the all-time greats of the game who revolutionised spin bowling. 

"Halfway through my career when we turned up to do coaching clinics and whatever else, every young kid in Australia wanted to be more than one of the bold leg spinners. He is going to down down as one of the all-time greats of the game if not one the greatest. I've never played with a more better and competitive bowler, someone who changed and revolutionised spin bowling back into," he added. 

Earlier on Saturday, Ponting had taken to Twitter to write, “Hard to put this into words. I first met him when I was 15 at the Academy. He gave me my nickname. We were teammates for more than a decade, riding all the highs and lows together. Through it all he was someone you could always count on, someone who loved his family...someone who would be there for you when you needed him and always put his mates first. The greatest bowler I ever played with or against. RIP King. My thoughts are with Keith, Bridgette, Jason, Brooke, Jackson and Summer.”

rec-icon Recommended Topics
ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, RCB Captain Announcement and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news.
See More
ICC Champions Trophy , ICC Champions Trophy Schedule , and Champions Trophy 2025 Points Table – stay ahead with real-time match updates, team standings, and insights. Check live cricket score , player stats, and ICC rankings of top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli . Get expert analysis, match previews, and in-depth coverage of ICC CT 2025, RCB Captain Announcement and IPL 2025, all on HT Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times – your trusted source for cricket news.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, February 14, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On