Cummins discloses heartbreaking moment Warner broke news of Warne's death

10 January 2023 , 14:28

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Shane Warne tragically passed away last year (Image: Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

Australia's Test team were in the midst of touring Pakistan for the first time since 1998 when they received the tragic news that national hero and cricketing icon Shane Warne had passed away at the age of just 52.

Warne suffered a heart attack while on holiday in Thailand, just hours after fellow Australian cricket legend Rod Marsh had also died after suffering a heart attack while on his way to a charity event.

And in season two of the Amazon Prime documentary series 'The Test', the squad open up about Warne's passing, having found out at the end of day one of the first Test in Rawalpindi, which had already seen them pay tribute to Marsh.

"We just finished the day's play, we got back on the bus and David Warner turned around from the front seat and said: 'Shane Warne has passed away in Thailand'," Captain Pat Cummins recalls in the series.

He also shared some memories of watching Warne when he was growing up, adding: "When I think of Warnie I think of my childhood.

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"Growing up, you think of the great Aussie teams and he just epitomised everything about Aussie cricket that you loved. In Ashes series he was always the one who stood tall, he was theatrical when he came on to bowl."

Australia's players paid an emotional tribute to Warne (AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

Warner, meanwhile, revealed the team paid an emotional tribute to Warne by trading stories about him. "That night we sat upstairs [with] a few beers going over some Warnie stories," he said.

"It really hit us. A character of our game and a loyal human being is someone who's been taken away at such a young age."

Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson, who spent time working on his craft with Warne, added: "I think guys had to deal with it in their own ways. We just knew we had to get out there and front up the next day and try to win the game for Australia like Warnie would have wanted us to do."

Matthew Cooper