"That was the last time I saw you, and it hurts" - Ravi Shastri recalls meeting Shane Warne at a bar in Nottingham
News of Australian spin wizard Shane Warne's passing has left the cricket world devastated and many have expressed their sadness about the player's untimely demise.
Former team India head coach Ravi Shastri also paid an emotional tribute to his pal. Shastri shared a video on his social media handles on Saturday, where he spoke about the relationship he shared with the Aussie star.
He revealed how he had last met Warne at a bar in Nottingham, and the two had planned to sit together for a chat. Shastri said:
"The last time I saw you was at Nottingham. You poked your head in a bar when we were out of quarantine and were allowed to sit in a bar and have a drink. I shouted, 'Aaye Warnie, come here my friend,' and you saw me and came right up. I held you like that and said, 'How are you mate? We need to have a chat,' and you said, 'Anytime, Ravi.' That was the last time I saw you, and it hurts,"
"This is no age to go but they also say the good die young. Condolences to the family, my friend. A message for you, God bless your soul. Get freaking upstairs in a hurry, spin a web. But remember, once you do that, we are ordinary mortals and make it easier for all of us to tread the path, reach upstairs to join you for a pint. Remember, we are coming without a bat in hand, so make it easy,"
Both Warne and Shastri had shared the commentary box for countless matches. The ex-India player also spoke about how he relishes the conversations and banter he shared with Warne over the years.
"With you, I could talk about anything" - Ravi Shastri
Shastri recalled how he first saw Warne at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in 1992. The 59-year-old also stated that he did not initially expect the crafty leg-spinner to achieve the immense success that he ultimately did. Shastri said:
"The first time I saw you was at the SCG. You were all round, nothing one called of an Australian athlete. But believe you me, after five days, I knew very clearly what you were all about and where you were gonna go. Certainly, in my wildest dreams, I did think that you would go as far as you did. Born in 1969 and gone in 2022. In that span of time, you were the largest larger-than-life character that I played the sport with."
"You were a friend. With you, I could talk about anything. I enjoyed maximum conversations with you behind the box. But once we finished our commentary stints, the banter at the back was amazing. Nothing to do with cricket and, your knowledge, my friend. The topics went from poker to porn. You always had the ace of spirits in your pocket. You were damn right 80-90% of times."
A special tribute for the one and only Shane Warne. https://t.co/0b0LJ3ilgM
It is worth mentioning that Shastri was Warne's maiden wicket in Test cricket. While he had a forgettable outing in his Test debut, Warne went on to establish himself as one of the cricketing greats, claiming more than 1000 wickets in international cricket.