Former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum has paid an emotional tribute to late Australian great Shane Warne following the spinner's sudden death last week.
Warne died of a heart attack in Thailand on Friday, aged 52, sending shock waves around the cricketing world which was already grieving the death of fellow Australian Rod Marsh the day before.
McCullum spoke about Warne during his radio show on SENZ on Monday, recalling their friendship forged through a love for both cricket and golf.
"He made life fun," McCullum said.
“He didn't lead the purest of lives, no doubt, but he had this air of invincibility around him.
"I always thought he would be able to live long and defy all personal choices."
McCullum said the news rocked him when he heard it, but he's now trying to celebrate Warne's life.
“To hear that he had passed away was pretty gutting. Initially [I felt] a sort of sorrow and sadness, then quickly you shake yourself into gear as you know that's not what Warnie would’ve wanted you to think about him either," he said.
“He wouldn't want you to be filled with sorrow and sadness, he'd want you to remember the good times and the experiences you had together.”
McCullum recalled Warne's character always made him feel comfortable in the spinner's company despite the aura he had in the game.
“You always knew he was a big star and he always had the presence of a big star, but he never made you feel like that. He never belittled you,” McCullum said.
“He always made you feel like you were his equal ... If he liked you, he was incredibly loyal and such an amazing human being to spend time around. He just had such a magnificent impact on people.
“I was lucky enough that he liked me, and we got to spend time together away from cricket fields... the New Zealand Open (golf) in particular, we got to spend a lot of time together. I just loved being in Warnie's presence because he just made life fun. He just made you laugh constantly.
“A lot of it was self-deprecating as well, which in its own way was incredibly endearing – having this huge superstar trying to bring himself down to your level so that you felt comfortable, which is quite an incredible trait in itself.”
McCullum added his thoughts were with Warne's family.
“In the last few days I've reached out to a lot of guys I've played with and against ... you value their friendships and the times you've spent together and the memories you've been able to create,” he said.
“We'll certainly be trying to catch up more often and create more special memories together, because life is short and that's what Warnie would have wanted.
“We just hope the King is resting in peace.”
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