Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee and former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris paid an emotional tribute to Dean Jones on Star Sports show Select Dugout before the start of the IPL 2020 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab on Thursday.

Jones, the former Australia batsman, passed away in Mumbai due to a sudden cardiac arrest. He was 59. Lee and Styris were working with Jones on the Star Sports show during the IPL.

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“He would’ve wanted us to be here tonight because it’s pretty much Deano’s dugout tonight, an absolute legend. Obviously, the first thing is we send our condolences to his family, really tough day for everyone, not only for his friends and family but also for the cricket world. What Deano would’ve wanted is for us to come out here in the dugout, get it done, have some fun for the game we all love,” said Brett Lee.

Reacting to the same, Styris who has had some memorable banter with the former Australia batsman in the show, said Jones always gave his inputs on how to improve the show.

“He thought this to be the Deano show really. He’s on to me every day with new ideas on how we can make it better. So I think it’s the right thing to do to be here, it’s gonna be hard but we hope t make him feel proud tonight,” said Styris.

Jones’ sudden demise shocked the cricketing fraternity as a number of current and former cricketers took to social media to express grief and offer condolences to the family.

Jones won the World Cup with Australia in 1987 and played 52 Tests and 164 one-day internationals in an international career that spanned 10 years from 1984.

Jones ended his career with 3,631 runs in Tests at an average of 46.55 with 11 hundreds and 14 half-centuries, and over 6,000 runs in ODIs with seven centuries and 46 fifties.