Shane Warne, a former Australian cricketer, died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand at the age of 52.
“Despite the best efforts of medical staff, Shane was found lifeless in his villa and could not be resuscitated,” Warne’s management said in a statement to Australian media source Fox Sports.
From 1992 through 2007, he was Australia’s representative.
The renowned spinner represented Australia in 145 Test matches, taking 708 wickets in the longest format of the game. He also played 194 One Day Internationals for Australia, taking 293 wickets.
Warne had tweeted about the loss of former Australian legend Rod Marsh just hours before his death.
In the 1993 Ashes, Warne was credited with bowling the “ball of the century” when he removed England batsman Mike Gatting.
Mike Gatting’s off-stump was hit by a ball that was thrown outside leg stump and spun a lot.
Despite his tumultuous career, cricket pundits and previous greats credit Warne with revitalizing the art of leg-spin bowling.
The Australian great had received numerous awards over his career. One of the highlights of his career was being a member of Australia’s World Cup-winning squad in 1999. He took the most wickets in the competition and was named man-of-the-match in the final versus Pakistan.
Apart from winning the World Cup, Warne also led the Rajasthan Royals to victory in the Indian Premier League’s debut season.
Warne was frequently spotted in the commentary box after retiring from cricket. He also teamed up with former Indian great Sachin Tendulkar to develop “Cricket All-Stars,” a campaign to promote the sport in the United States with the help of past cricket legends.
Condolences began to flow in from all corners following the awful tragedy.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s all-format captain, said the news was “hard to accept.”
“With his spectacular leg-spin, he actually inspired generations. Shane Warne, you will be sorely missed “Babar remarked.
Shahid Afridi, a former Pakistan captain, claimed that the “game of cricket” has lost a “university of leg-spin bowling.”
“From the beginning of my career, I was inspired by his bowling, and it was always an honor to play against him,” Afridi tweeted.
Adam Gilchrist, Warne’s former colleague who had kept wickets during the latter portion of Warne’s career, was similarly distraught when he learned of the tragic news.
Virender Sehwag, a former Indian cricketer, turned to Twitter to say:
“It’s impossible to believe. Shane Warne, one of the greatest spinners of all time and the man who made spin cool, has passed away. Life is delicate, but this is tough to comprehend. My deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and fans all across the world.”
“Cricket has had a bad day! A legendary cricketer and mentor have passed away. This news has left me heartbroken. My deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and admirers all across the world “Yasir Shah, a Pakistani cricketer, said about it.
Irfan Pathan, an Indian cricketer, described Warne as a crowd-pleaser.
“The ball-wielding magician. Australian cricket’s undisputed legend. The first skipper to win an IPL match. He will be missed and remembered for the rest of his life.”
“Mr. Warne for the memories” of his “magic on the cricket field,” the Indian actor said.
