Veteran cricket commentator Henry Blofeld has shared some of his best memories of Australia legend Shane Warne following his emotional state funeral on Wednesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Blofeld, 82, recalled the time Warne introduced him to Jägerbombs following a day's play in the 2016 Test match between England and Pakistan at Edgbaston. At the time, Blofeld was commentating on the game for BBC Test Match Special and joined fellow commentators Michael Vaughan and Phil Tufnell for a few drinks while out in Birmingham.
Warne, who was commentating on the Test for Sky Sports, joined the trio in a local bar and bought them all Jägerbombs, a popular drink made by dropping a shot of Jägermeister into an energy drink. Blofeld, who had never had one before, said he loved the drink so much he ended up having three and when he suggested the group go out again the next night they "chickened out".
Speaking to ITV News Anglia, Blofeld recalled: "He said to me: 'Come on Blowers, drink this!', and then as I drank out of the first glass with two hands, another glass inside hit me on the nose and he said: 'You've got to drink that as well,' so I had the lot and I rather enjoyed it. I think I had three of them!
"I woke up the next day and we got to the ground and I was telling listeners about this and I had suggested to Tufnell and Vaughan, and to Warne too I think, that we should all do it again the next night but they all chickened out - they've got no stamina at all!"
Blofeld commentated for the BBC between 1972 and 2017, encapsulating the entirety of Warne's playing career, including numerous Ashes series where he terrorised England's batters. "I shall always be mesmerised by Warnie's bowling," Blofeld added.
"One thinks initially of that ball that bowled [Mike] Gatting, the first ball he ever bowled in a test match in England, that was at Old Trafford. And he went on.
"He was just magnificent. He was the best bowler there's ever been, full stop, and no one I think could query that.
"He was a really happy-go-lucky chap who was also a genius. I don't think cricket will probably ever see another legspinner like Shane Warne."
