As the world is coming to terms with the demise of Shane Warne, his family released a heartbreaking statement with tributes from his parents, children, brother, and former wife. The likes of Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, and many more have spoken about their relationship with the record-breaking bowler.
One of Warne’s good friends and teammates, Brett Lee, opened up how he came to know about the death of a spin icon.
Lee, speaking on The Brett Lee podcast, explained that it was in the early hours of March 4 that he got a text from a former England spinner informing him about the tragic news.
“I was with my mum and dad and saw the light from my phone keep flashing. I checked the text from Graeme Swann, and he said I couldn’t believe the news on Warnie,” said Lee.
“That was 1 AM in the morning, and I thought to myself, what has he done now? Is he involved in another controversy? I typed Shane Warne’s news on my phone, and it came that he had passed away due to a suspected heart attack. The next morning, my father summed up and said, ‘Warnie can’t die. It’s Warnie.’ That’s the feeling here everyone in the country has.”
Lee then paid tribute to the greatest spinner, explaining that he was to Australia what Sachin Tendulkar, Michael Jordan, and David Beckham meant to their countries. “He was like Sachin Tendulkar, Michael Jordan, and David Beckham for the Australians. Even if you don’t watch cricket in Australia, everyone over here had heard about Warne,” he added.
“He would get mobbed for selfies and autographs. Shane always had time for people, and he would always sign for kids and get the photos. Even if he abused on the street, he never reacted.”