PONTING SORROW: I WISH I HAD TOLD WARNIE JUST HOW MUCH I LOVED HIM

FORMER Australia captain Ricky Ponting plans to ensure Shane Warne’s legacy lives on through the new generation of cricketers by passing on the things he learned from the spin great.

Warne died in Thailand on Friday at the age of 52 after suffering a suspected heart attack. Thai police said yesterday an autopsy showed he died of natural causes.

The former leg spinner took 708 Test wickets, the second-highest ever, in 145 Tests and is considered one of the best players in history.

“He was a teacher through his commentary and I’ve seen hundreds of photos over the last 24 hours of all the spinners he worked with,” said Ponting, a long-time team-mate who captained Warne during the final years of his Test career.

“He helped Steve Smith in his younger days and Rashid Khan has been catching up with him – just imagine the conversations they would have had.

“So I feel it is now up to me whenever I get an opportunity to let the world know what he was like and pass on things I learnt from him.”

Ponting paid an emotional tribute to Warne on social media shortly after the spinner’s death, calling him the “greatest bowler” he ever played with or against.

He said he had first met Warne at the Australian Cricket Academy at the age of 15, and was given the nickname ‘Punter’ by the great man.

Ponting told The ICC Review of his shock at Warne’s death, saying: “I woke up early and was getting the kids ready to go to netball when my wife Rianna looked at her phone and told me the news about Warnie.

“I grabbed the phone out of her hand to look at it and I couldn’t believe it and it is still the same now.

“It was so raw to me I couldn’t speak and every time I thought about him and our experiences and our journey together and I just got short for words. Even today I have had the TV on watching the tributes, but every time I hear his voice I have to turn it off.

“It’s been a tough couple of days, but it makes us a bit more aware of things I probably need to pay more attention to and there is stuff there for all of us to learn.”

Asked what he would say to Warne if he had the chance for one final conversation, Ponting said: “I would say how much I love him.

“I didn’t say that to him and I wish I did.”