REVEALED: Shane Warne’s secret act of generosity for Andrew Symonds

Late cricket legends Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds truly shared a friendship of gold, as it has been revealed just how much Warne valued his former teammate.

In an interview with Triple M Rush Hour with JB and Billy, Aussie Test legend Adam Gilchrist shed light on the genuine loyalty and friendship Warne and Symonds’ shared.

Gilchrist revealed that months before Warne’s shocking death in Thailand in early March, the 52-year-old had been offered a job on the London Spirit‘s coaching staff, a team in England’s new Hundred Ball cricket tournament, and he wanted Symonds to be with him.

But when no budget was put aside for Symonds’ assistant coach position, the Spin King took matters into his own hands.

“Warnie was doing that on his own accord and was going to pay Roy the wage that he was going to get for being over there and Roy couldn’t believe that,” Gilchrist said.

“That sense of friendship and mateship was everything that Roy built his whole life around, of trust and loyalty.”

 

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Symonds and Warne were mates on and off the field, with their friendship only growing as they shared the Fox Sports commentary box.

Speaking to Fox after Warne’s shock death, Symonds explained the bond he shared with the leg-spin legend.

“My friendship with Shane just grew and grew over the years and he was so generous to me. I’ve been through some difficult periods and I’d ring him and if he didn’t take the call he’d ring me straight back,” he said.

Symonds then shared how days just prior to Warne’s death, the cricket icon had rung up to share the news on the London coaching job.

“And I was really looking forward to going to coach with Shane Warne. No. 1 to see how he went about it and then obviously to learn,” he said.

“So off the back of that, that opportunity arose and unfortunately I won’t get to live that with him.”

Unfortunately, the 46-year-old would never co-coach in England either after cruel fate stepped in as Symonds died in a car crash outside of Townsville on Saturday night, May 14, only two months after Warne’s passing.

Symonds played a major role in Australia’s World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007. He played 26 test matches and 198 One Day Internationals.

Symonds is survived by his wife Laura and two children Chloe and Billy.