Former Australian first-class cricketer Darren Berry has sent a heartbreaking message about the late, great Shane Warne as he prepares to join the London Spirit's coaching staff ahead of this year's edition of The Hundred.
Warne was the London Spirit's head coach and had appointed close friend Berry as one of his assistant coaches for the upcoming season. However, Warne tragically passed away in March at the age of just 52 after suffering a heart attack and former England coach Trevor Bayliss has replaced him on an interim basis.
Berry will work alongside Bayliss as an assistant coach, having sent an emotional message on social media about wanting to "honour my commitment to my late great mate Shane Warne". Berry posted a picture of himself and Warne and a picture of him on his flight to the UK.
"'No turning back now'", he wrote. "On board Singapore flight then onto Manchester/London to honour my commitment to my late great mate Shane Warne who I was to be assisting in the London [Hundred] my new T-shirt reminding me of my SKW. I was always his co pilot. Love ya mate Talk to me Goose"
Berry was also close friends with Andrew Symonds, who tragically died in May after a car accident at the age of just 46. It was revealed after Symonds' death that Warne had planned to make him part of his coaching staff at the London Spirit and pay him out of his own pocked as the club did not have the budget for another assistant coach.
Speaking on Triple M radio, Australia legend Adam Gilchrist revealed: "A little thing that Roy [Symonds] was telling me just last week was that Warnie had been speaking about getting him over to be a fielding coach or an assistant coach at the London Spirit in the Hundred competition over there in England which Warnie was coach of.
"It was only a couple of weeks ago that Roy found out there was no budget put aside for Roy; there was nothing documented in the London Spirit set-up. Warnie was doing that of his own accord and was going to pay Roy the wage that he was going to get for being over there. Roy couldn't believe it."
Following Gilchrist's comments, Berry tweeted: "100% true my great mate had told me this during a catch up at the Adelaide test this summer. He loved Roy & Roy loved him.
"He was paying out of his own salary to get Roy on board. I just can’t yet fathom that I will go to the London spirit in honour of these two great mates".
