David Warner said that he will return to Australia after the completion of the ongoing Pakistan Test series to attend the state funeral of his childhood idol, Shane Warne, on March 30.

Warne, the Australian spin legend, died of a suspected heart attack on March 4 on Koh Samui Island in Thailand at the age of 52. His state funeral will be held on March 30 with no limitations on crowd numbers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Warner will attend the funeral since he is not part of the limited-overs series in Pakistan. 

As Warne's state funeral is scheduled for March 30, Warner told reporters in Karachi: “I will be there, 100 percent. It's definitely going to be extremely emotional for everyone. There will be lots of people paying their respects. You just look at the tributes from around the world -- he has touched millions and millions of people, and from different countries.”

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Warne’s passing has shaken the cricket world and Warne said that it will take time to get used to it. The opener said, “It still hasn't really sunk in. When we first found out, we thought it was a joke. As a kid, I had his poster up on the wall. I wanted to be like Shane.”

Meanwhile, the veteran opener attracted his fans by showing off his dance moves to the music played between overs or accompanying the spectators in their chants during the first Test in Rawalpindi.

Reacting to the same, Warner said: “We're entertainers as well. If I'm not playing in the middle where I'm batting, I like to engage with the fans.”

He also admitted that the Australian team wanted to win over the Pakistan fans after touring the country following 24 years. Warner concluded, “I've got nothing but great words to say about the place.”

(With AFP Inputs)