'In between his cricket socks was this bag full of $100 notes'

Former Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds shared a story from his playing days as he remembered the legendary Shane Warne ahead of the State Memorial Service to honor the legendary leg-spinner, who passed away earlier this month following a suspected heart attack. The Thai police had later concluded 52-year-old Warne died of natural causes while on holiday on the resort island of Koh Samui.

Symonds, who had shared the dressing room with Warne for a large part of the former's international career, recalled the time when he found a bag full of cash in Warne's hotel room.

"We were playing a Test match here, I think it was against South Africa in the Boxing Test," he recounted.

"The third day we were into and I remember walking in and his gear was just all over the floor. He used to have a lot of socks and a lot of boots, and in between all his big woolen cricket socks was this Woolworths bag full of rolled-up $100 notes."

Symonds remembered questioning Warne on why the money had appeared, as he laughed.

"It sort of caught my eye as I went past, just rolls and rolls of money. I said to Warnie, 'Mate what's the story here?'. He goes, 'Oh I had a little win at the casino last night Roy and you know what? Cash is king'.

"It was about 40-grand laying on the ground there!

"You realise how special he was," Symonds said.

Symonds added that he was grateful to have known Warne. "He was hugely generous, he would always help someone he liked. I was fortunate enough to be in that category," said the former Aussie all-rounder.

Warne's memorial service was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and was attended by many former Australian cricketers including Glenn McGrath and Michael Clarke, among others.