The Shane Warne memory that brought Ricky Ponting to tears in 7NEWS interview

Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting choked back tears and forced himself to pause as he remembered his great mate Shane Warne in an interview with 7NEWS.

One of Warne’s oldest friends in the sport, the pair first met at the cricket academy in Adelaide when Ponting was 15 and Warne, five years older, had just received his first Cricket Australia contract.

Watch Ponting’s emotional response in the video above.

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Ponting recounted many memories of the pair’s time in the game together but it was his recollection of hanging out with Warne during those early days at the academy that left Ponting speechless.

“We had some pretty good battles,” Ponting said.

“I guess, as a 15-year-old I was trying to show the world how good I was and he was the best spinner in the country at that stage.”

Ponting said he would “really cherish” the time they played together for Australia.

The thought of Warne showing him the ropes as a teenager, however, was hit home.

“To have the chance to captain him for a couple of years was a pretty big thrill as well,” Ponting said.

“I remember halfway through my career when we’d turn up to do coaching clinics - every young kid in Australia wanted to be Shane Warne, wanted to bowl leg spin.

“He was living a different life to me at this stage (when Ponting joined the academy).

“I was a 15-year-old boy out of Launceston, he’d just been given his first Cricket Australia contract.

“He’d driven his car across (from Melbourne to Adelaide) and we’d hang out a fair bit together and do a fair bit together even as a 15-year-old. He was...”

Ponting said he woke on Saturday to take his daughters to netball when numerous text messages alerted him