Darren Berry was supposed to coach with Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds in The Hundred this year.
Instead, the former Australian first-class cricketer is grieving the deaths of his colleagues and great mates just two months apart.
Symonds and Berry were appointed by Warne as assistants for the London Spirit’s 100-ball campaign in 2022.
But in what must seem like a split second, Berry has lost Warne and Symonds to a heart attack and a car accident respectively.
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Warne died on March 4 at the age of 52, and Symonds on Saturday at 46.
Berry’s first-class career saw him play with Warne, for Victoria, and against Symonds, who represented Queensland.
The stardom of Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist prevented Berry, an elite gloveman, from playing international cricket with Warne and Symonds.
Several hours after the news of Symonds’ death began filtering through on Sunday, Berry made his heartbreak clear in a Twitter post.
“Too much just far too much to bare,” Berry wrote.
“Seriously WTF we had some fierce battles on the field but enormous respect of (sic) it. Numbness descends as SKW had arranged both Roy & I to be his trusted assistants at the London Unique man with a kind heart taken far too soon – RIP Roy.”
https://twitter.com/ChuckBerry1969/status/1525663446032756736
Symonds played 26 Tests, 198 one-dayers and 14 T20s for Australia between 1998 and 2009.
The entertaining all-rounder was a member of Australia’s triumphant 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup sides.
He plundered 143 runs from 125 balls to lead Australia to victory over Pakistan in the group stage of the 2003 World Cup.
The most iconic innings of his Test career was a knock of 156 not out in the 2006 Boxing Day Test. He blasted England’s Paul Collingwood for six straight back over his head to reach his maiden Test century and jumped into the arms of great mate Matthew Hayden.
Cricket fans fell in love with Symonds’ zinced-up lips, dreadlocks, exceptional fielding, enormous hitting power and laidback attitude.
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