England Test captain Joe Root has paid tribute to cricket icon Shane Warne following the Australian’s tragic death on Friday.
The 52-year-old passed away following a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Thailand, leading to emotional tributes from around the game and beyond.
One of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Warne took 708 wickets in a glittering career spanning from 1992 to 2007, a record since overtaken by contemporary Muttiah Muralitharan.
Upon his retirement in 2007, Warne had moved into a commentary role and worked as a coach with London Spirit in The Hundred.
A box office character on and off the field, Warne’s passing followed that of Rod Marsh earlier this week in a tragic few days for Australian cricket.
Root, who was speaking from the West Indies where England are on tour, described Warne as a “massive idol growing up”.
"Really shocked and really sad to hear such a legend of the game passed so suddenly,” he said.
"We had just started the game (against a CWI President’s XI in Antigua) and it filtered through the dressing room. It’s been quite a quiet dressing room off the back of it. It’s hit everyone quite hard if I’m being brutally honest."
He added: "My experiences of Shane were of someone who absolutely loved the game of cricket. He was always a joy to be around, he gave so much energy to the sport.
"As a kid growing up he was a massive idol of mine and someone you wanted to emulate. The way he could win a game on his own, his skill levels were incredible.
"I’d have been 14 when the 2005 Ashes was on, in many ways that series was a massive influence on my career."
