Cricket news: Fox Cricket to honour Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds this summer

Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds’ fellow Fox Cricket commentators have revealed how they plan to honour the legacy of the late legends this summer.

Fox Sports commentators Brendon Julian, Andrew Symonds and Mark Waugh.

Gone too soon, but never forgotten, two of Australia’s most charismatic cricketers will be fondly remembered this Summer with Fox Sports commentators promising to honour Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds.

The upcoming cricket season will be the first since the sudden and unexpected deaths of the two Aussie legends but their former colleagues behind the microphone have pledged to keep their memories alive.

“If you said prior to this unfortunate year who are the two characters that would be most difficult to ever replace it would be Warney and Roy,” Fox commentator Adam Gilchrist said at the launch of Kayo’s Summer of Cricket.

“They‘re just so unique and we’re not going to try to replace them but we want to carry forward their legacy and their spirit.

“I personally think we should always feel comfortable making reference to them, talking about how they used to say it or see it or what they used to do and that‘s the way their memory can live on for as long as possible in the most positive manner.”

Isa Guha and Shane Warne commentating for Fox Cricket.

Mark Waugh said everyone in Australian cricket was still coming to terms with the deaths of Warne and Symonds and also Rod Marsh – which all happened in quick succession – but it was important that everyone remembered them for what they brought to the game and the country.

“It hits you hard, but we‘ll respect and honour them as best we can during the Summer,” Waugh said.

“It‘s going to leave a big hole in our commentary team but not just that, just as mates as well, we’ve played a lot of cricket together and all of us had strong bonds with both Andrew and Shane.”

Gilchrist and Waugh will join an expanded Fox cricket commentary team this Summer that will include regular faces Kerry O’Keeffe, Brendon Julian, Mel Jones, Kath Loughnan and Megan Barnard.

They will also be joined behind the desk by legendary batter Brian Lara for the West Indies Test series, and former South African skippers Shaun Pollock and Hashim Amla for the three-Test series against the Proteas while Fox is also launching a new dedicated channel (Fox Cricket +).

Fox Cricket will honour Shane Warne.

Andrew Symonds helps launch the BBL season in 2020.

O’Keeffe said the absence of Warne and Symonds would make it a difficult Summer for everyone but both men would have wanted everyone to carry on.

“We will miss them off air as much as on air. They were just so good to be around,” O’Keeffe said.

“They were so personable. They were both quirky people, but loyal to Fox Cricket and to those involved in Fox cricket.

“It‘s a void and a number of us are still coming to terms that they’re not here and it’ll be a cloud that hangs over Fox cricket through the summer but we’ll get through.”