Abberley was a mentor to England batsman Ian Bell, who will wear a black armband in the upcoming Test against India at Edgbaston.
Over a career that spanned 15 years at Warwickshire, Abberly amassed over 10,000 first-class runs at 24.47. His best season came in 1966 when he scored 1315 runs which was enough to win him a call-up to the MCC Under-25 tour of Pakistan.
His lasting impact to Warwickshire, though, came as a coach where he joined the staff in 1981. Ashley Giles, Warwickshire's director of cricket, told thecricketer.com: "To me he was a mentor, a confidant but, most of all, a friend. We knew he was getting a little bit fragile but we didn't realise how fragile so his death has come as a shock to everyone.
"He gave his life to Warwickshire and there are a lot of players who owe a huge debt of gratitude to him. Without Neal Abberley I would not be Warwickshire's director of cricket and I would not have played 54 Tests for England. When I first met him I was an 18-year-old triallist and I was still wet behind the ears having come from living at home with mum and dad.
"He helped me to grow up. He was old school and it was a tough school at times and a steep learning curve. But Neal was a great influence on me and he set me on the road to where I am now."
The third Test will be the first since Edgbaston's £32million redevelopment and Warwickshire are expected to fly flags at half-mast during the match.
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