Cricket fans far and wide tuned in to watch the nailbiting Ashes series unfold as the Aussies retained the urn with a 2-2 result.
But for former Victorian state captain Darren Berry the series was a painful reminder of the loss of his great mate, Shane Warne.
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The Ashes series was the first since the loss of Warne rocked the cricket world when he suffered a heart attack in a Thailand villa in March, 2022.
In an exclusive interview Berry opened up on watching the rivalry unfold without Warnie being behind the mic.
“Shane and I were best friends I’ve done it really tough, I’m still doing it tough,” Berry said to news.com.au.
“The world lost a great cricketer, but I lost a great friend way too early due to the heart.
“I found it difficult waiting to hear his voice. I would always send him a text message and he’d say ‘what about these sh*t tactics’.
“It’s really hard for me to be missing those things with my mate. And it was a little strange that first Ashes series without him either terrorising them with the ball or giving his comments behind the microphone.
“I really felt his absence during the Ashes.”
Berry and Warne were as thick as thieves and had been friends since their younger years having come through the Victorian ranks.
“We both played football at St Kilda, we thought we were AFL footballers but truth be known we were both too fat and slow,” Berry said.
“Every time St Kilda play I’m looking at my phone waiting for a message from him no matter where he was in the world.
“His loss has been felt heavily by me. Sadly, he was probably the culmination of a really bad period in my life.
“Dean Jones and I were very close, he died of a heart attack. Rod Marsh was my childhood hero, he died the same day as Warnie of a heart attack.”
The deaths rocked Berry to his core and saw him step into action and hit the ground running to promote and provide awareness for men the world over to go and get tested.
Berry suffered a heart attack of his own, but unlike his heroes and friends … he lived to tell the tale.
“On February 11 2020, I spent two nights in intensive care and thought I was going to die of a heart attack,” he said.
“I consider myself very lucky. I had two stents inserted, and touch wood. I’ve got a second chance.
“There’s a lot of cricketers that have been affected by heart attack heart disease. Therefore, my message is strong. Don’t wait.
“There’s been a lot said about prostate cancer … heart and cholesterol is the silent killer.
“Most of us men at 50 think we’re okay, we’re good there’s no problems here. And with no signs I went down. And I remember the doctor saying he’s having a heart attack and I could not believe it.
“Not just men, go to your GP, get your heart tested and get your cholesterol tested.”
While the incident saw Berry make changes to the way he lived his life, he stated the changes weren’t made to stop him from enjoying life … just to live a longer one.
And while men historically can be stubborn creatures, Berry says don’t rest on the laurels of thinking everything is fine.
“All I can say is, get busy living or get busy dying, and I didn’t know it but I was slowly dying. I didn’t have any warning signs,” Berry said.
“I thought, like most people out there, I’m ok.
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“Go to your GP and ask for two things: I want a heart stress test and I want a cholesterol test please.
“Take control of it. Go and see somebody is my it’s my strong message that the silent killer is heart disease and unhealthy cholesterol.
“We all think we’re bulletproof. Go and get tested and find out exactly where you sit and then make the adjustments needed.”
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