'We laughed a lot and drank a lot': Read Elton John's private email to Brett Lee paying tribute to their good friend and Australian cricketing legend Dean Jones after his shock death in India

A private email sent by Sir Elton John to Brett Lee following the death of their good friend Australian cricketing legend Dean Jones has been revealed. 

Jones, 59, was staying in a hotel in Mumbai with Lee when he collapsed and died on September 24. 

His family originally thought Jones had suffered a heart attack but a coroner from both Australia and India concluded it was a stroke that took his life.

Dean Jones , 59, was staying in a hotel in Mumbai with Lee when he suffered a stroke on September 24 and died

An email that Sir Elton John sent to fellow cricketer Brett Lee mourning the death of Jones has finally been revealed 

Dean Jones seen here with his wife Jane (far left) and his two daughters Phoebe and Augusta

His sudden death shook the cricketing world along with pop legend, Sir Elton, whose private email paying tribute to Jones has been made public. 

'Dear Brett, here goes,' the letter began. 

'I love spending time with cricketers. I have hung out with many Australian and England players and have had so much fun and wonderful memories. Such great characters and down to earth.

'Dean Jones was the epitome of friendliness. A very naughty sense of humour and loyal to a fault. 

'Every time we saw each other we talked endlessly about our mutual love of cricket and music. 

'We laughed a lot and drank a lot. I will miss him, as will cricketers throughout the world.

'Such a colossal talent. Genuine, kind and a giant of a man. 

'Elton x.'

Jones and Lee posed for a photo to send to Sir Elton while they were in Mumbai just a week before his tragic and unexpected death.

In the image, Jones is seen smiling widely with his thumbs up as Lee captures the moment.

Unbeknownst to them, a week later they would mourn a heartbreaking death.

'Only last week I was sent this lovely photo of Dean Jones and Brett Lee in Mumbai,' Sir Elton wrote on Instagram at the time, alongside the photo. 

'Now Dean has gone. Life is unfair. He was a great cricketer and a wonderful father.

'My love and condolences to Phoebe, Janey and Gussie.'

A week before his tragic and unexpected death, Jones and Lee posed for a photo to send to Sir Elton while they were in Mumbai

Sir Elton sent Lee an email after their good friend and Australian cricket legend Dean Jones died of a stroke (pictured middle is Lee's wife Lana Anderson)

Jones is seen celebrating Christmas with his two daughters last year

Sir Elton John's email to Brett Lee: 

Dear Brett, here goes,

I love spending time with cricketers. I have hung out with many Australian and England players and have had so much fun and wonderful memories. Such great characters and down to earth.

Dean Jones was the epitome of friendliness. A very naughty sense of humour and loyal to a fault. 

Every time we saw each other we talked endlessly about our mutual love of cricket and music. 

We laughed a lot and drank a lot.I will miss him as will cricketers throughout the world.

Such a colossal talent. Genuine, kind and a giant of a man. 

Elton x.

Lee was at Jones' side when he suffered a stroke and performed CPR twice on him to no avail.

An ambulance arrived at the hotel and transported Jones to the hospital but he could not be saved.

According to close friends, Jones went for a run on that Thursday morning before suffering a stroke at lunchtime. 

Lee described the horrific situation as one that you 'wouldn't wish on your worst enemy'.

'It was the most confronting, scariest moment that I've ever been a part of in my life,' Lee told the Daily Telegraph.

Jones died after suffering from a 'massive heart attack'

He said in that moment he knew he had to jump in and help Jones but sadly 'there was nothing that could've been done to bring him back to life'. 

To make matters worse, Lee had to call Jones' wife Jane, and inform her of the devastating news. 

'To lose a close mate and then have to call his wife, I mean you don't get any worse combo than that. That was the toughest thing I've ever had to do in my life.'

Jones will be remembered at the MCG Boxing Day test - which Lee cannot attend due to border closures thanks to the Northern Beaches cluster in NSW.

'I'm really upset that I can't go down to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test. I wanted to spend some time with Jane and the girls and catch up and have a bit of a toast to Deano,' he aid.

This, however, won't stop him from remembering his friend.

'As soon as the restrictions open up again me and my wife are going to go down.'  

Lee has admitted he is 'disappointed, shocked and angry' that his friend was taken way too early. 

The Victorian coroner is investigating the cause of death after it was found that Jones in fact died from a stroke and not a heart attack.

'It is actually under a coroner's inquiry at the moment, not that they think there is anything other than what they have found, but just that he was a bit young to have the stroke the way it happened,' Jane told Sydney Morning Herald. 

'I hope Saturday is a big celebration. That's the way we are looking at it. The fact that we were only allowed to have 10 people at his in the middle of COVID, we were very alone. It will be nice for some of the public to be a part of it. The girls are thrilled to do something.' 

Jones first met Sir Elton in 1999, when he was going to put up $10million to bring David Beckham and Manchester United to Australia.

Jones had a thriving event management company known for bringing huge acts Down Under - but the business of live events and sport was always a huge risk.

On the eve of the biggest deal of his life, his long-time friend Elton John saved the batsman from financial ruin, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Jones was part of a three-man consortium that had just pulled off a major coup bringing the FIFA World XI to Australia to play the Socceroos.

They'd also got mega-band INXS back together after the death of singer Michael Hutchence to launch the Sydney Olympic Stadium ahead of the 2000 Games.

David Beckham and Victoria Adams (now Victoria Beckham) were among the most famous couples in the world in 1999 when this photo was taken

On the eve of the biggest deal of his life, Jones long-time friend Elton John saved the batsman from financial ruin

The 1999 Red Devils had won the European Champions' League, Premier League and FA Cup

Although it was a major windfall netting $15million, the process was far from smooth sailing.

Jones had to get a $5million loan against his family house and there were talks the band could pull out up until the morning of the show.

Any last-minute crisis could have ruined Jones and the stress of the huge business gamble was something he vowed to never go through again.

DEAN JONES' CRICKET CAREER 

Tests: 52

Runs: 3631

Centuries: 11

Average: 46.55

High score: 216

 

ODIs: 164

Runs: 6068

Centuries: 7

Average: 44.61

High score: 145

 

But with the David Beckham's Manchester United fresh off European football's Triple Crown, an opportunity presented itself.

The powers that be at the club wanted Jones to put up $10million for a tour of Australia.

He was about to sign but decided to give it a final thought. 

That night he visited superstar singer-songwriter Elton John in his hotel room at the Crown Casino in Melbourne. 

'I told Elton what date they were playing (in July),' Jones said on a podcast hosted by Australian cricketer Shane Watson in June. 

Jones said it was then he realised that the date clashed with the Beckhams' wedding, where Elton had been invited to play.  

'And I've gone, ''ohhhh, so half the team is going to be with Beckham!''

Jones knew with the likes of Beckham, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and more likely to be a no-show, the financial risk was huge.   

'I went back to them (United management) and said, ''is that date right?'' I said, ''you've got nothing on?'',' Jones said.

'They didn't care. Not worried about advertising these guys' names and they don't turn up.

'Rene Rivkin was also trying to bid for it and I gave it to him for $200k and he ended up taking the heat.' 

He quickly bailed on the plan and credited his mate Elton with saving him from potential bankruptcy. 

Jones is hailed for revolutionising the One Day International format.

The cricket great played in 52 Tests for Australia and averaged 46.55 batting in the middle order.

He scored 3631 runs and 11 centuries in his illustrious career. 

'Dean Jones was a hero to a generation of cricketers and will forever be remembered as a legend of this great game,' Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings said at the time of his death.

'Anyone who watched cricket in the 1980s and 1990s will fondly recall his cavalier approach at the crease and the incredible energy and passion he brought to every game he played.'

Jones is seen during a ODI match against South Africa at the SCG in January 1994

Jones speaks to former prime minister John Howard at Maroubra Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs