Shane Warne’s sudden demise has left the world stunned. Affected more so have been the people close to him, his teammates and his family. Shane Warne passed away on Friday evening while on holiday in Thailand due to a suspected heart attack. Everyone, whether cricket followers or not, have been mourning this big loss.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting had earlier in the year revealed that he was given the nickname ‘Punter’ by none other than Shane Warne.
Ricky Ponting had hosted a Q&A session with his fans on Twitter in January when a fan asked him the story behind his nickname. The legendary batsman revealed that it was more than 20 years ago when as a youngster he used to put bets and hence Shane Warne, his friend since the teenage cricket academy, gave him the nickname of ‘Punter’ which was used by his teammates throughout his career.
“We were getting paid $40 a month when we were living at the cricket academy in 1990. I used to go to the TAB to have a bet on the dogs and @ShaneWarne gave me the nickname,” Ricky Ponting replied to a query.
The word ‘Punt’ in Australian lingo means to place a bet on horse races or dog races, usually.
We were getting paid $40 a month when we were living at the cricket academy in 1990. I used to go to the TAB to have a bet on the dogs and @ShaneWarne gave me the nickname https://t.co/uY61XKaEAx
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) January 27, 2020
Ricky Ponting paid a beautiful homage to his deceased friend and former teammate, Shane Warne. Ponting and Shane Warne played in 206 internationals for Australia and were together in some of their best and worst phases.
Ponting tweeted: “Hard to put this into words. I first met him when I was 15 at the Academy. He gave me my nickname. We were teammates for more than a decade, riding all the highs and lows together.
“Through it all he was someone you could always count on, someone who loved his family someone who would be there for you when you needed him and always put his mates first.
“The greatest bowler I ever played with or against. RIP King”
…someone who would be there for you when you needed him and always put his mates first.
The greatest bowler I ever played with or against.
RIP King. My thoughts are with Keith, Bridgette, Jason, Brooke, Jackson and Summer. pic.twitter.com/sxhUAf6kzB
— Ricky Ponting AO (@RickyPonting) March 5, 2022
Regarded as arguably the greatest-ever bowler, Shane Warne had made his debut against India in 1992, and went on to attain greatness in spin bowling, claiming 1001 international wickets – 293 in ODIs and 708 Test wickets – a tally only bettered by Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan. He won five Ashes series and the 1999 World Cup, playing a crucial role in all of them.
