'I'll never forget my final conversation with Shane Warne - his death shocked me'
Shane Warne and Phil Tufnell were on opposite sides during the 1990s, and the pair often locked horns, but they still shared a close friendship away from the cricket field
Shane Warne passed away on back in 2022 after suffering a heart attack
(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images )
After numerous memorable encounters with Shane Warne, former England cricketer Phil Tufnell's last interaction with the Australian was rather unassuming. With his charming personality, bamboozling spinning ability and habit of finding himself in the headlines, Tufnell, 59, could be considered England's answer to Warne.
While Tufnell might not have sported an earring or the bleach blonde hair that gave Warne his movie-star looks, he nevertheless had the skill to bewilder batsmen and make the ball turn on command. Notably, Tufnell eclipsed Warne during the 1997 Ashes by securing 11 wickets compared to the Aussie's four, leading England to a narrow 19-run win in the sixth test against Australia.
Friendship blossomed between the two after their international cricket careers ended, with both contributing their insights to media coverage. The world, along with Tufnell, was shocked by Warne's sudden death due to a heart attack at age 52 on March 4, 2022.
Tufnell reflects on his final words with Warne fondly. It was simply a routine farewell post-match, followed by a light-hearted confirmation that they both had cigarettes on hand.
Speaking at the launch of The Overlap and Betfair's Stick to Cricket show, Tufnell told the Mirror: "I do a little bit actually (remember his last conversation with Warne).
"I think we were at a cricket match. We have a breakout group there, so we're BBC and he was at Sky. As usual, we all meet up for a fag, we both used to smoke. I tell you what, it was one of those where we were just chatting.
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"It was virtually, 'Oh, well, see you later. See you next year. Cheers mate. You got a fag, yeah? Alright! Cheers mate. Ta, bye.'
Warne and Tufnell had many battles on the field
(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images )
"Then, shortly afterwards (when news of the death was confirmed), it was like, 'F***, what?' That was the shock. We just couldn't believe it."
Warne's sudden passing while on holiday in Thailand was deeply felt across the sport. Tufnell recalled exactly where he was when he heard the devastating news.
He said: "I was driving along in my car and I thought they'd got it wrong. I thought they'd got it wrong because I think Rod Marsh, the legendary Australian wicket-keeper, had passed away two or three days beforehand.
Tufnell will be starring on Betfair's Stick to Cricket show
(Image: Betfair/Stick to Cricket podcast )
"I thought they had got that (Warne's death) wrong on the radio. Then I turned to another channel and they said it again.
"I stopped the car. Stopped the car. I had been working with him not so long ago in the media centre at a cricket match, just chatting to him. I just couldn't believe it."
Warne is universally recognised as the finest leg spinner in history, concluding his illustrious career with a tally of 708 wickets, second only to Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, who bagged 800.
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Betfair are set for a big summer and winter of cricket, launching a new show with The Overlap: Stick to Cricket. Don't miss the first episode next week, where the team will be reviewing the opening test of the series between England and India.
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