BANGKOK, March 4 – Australian cricketer Shane Warne, one of the best bowlers of all time, whose talent and personality go beyond the sport, died at the age of 52 on Friday. Read more
Warne, who ended his fascinating international career in 2007 with a remarkable 708 test gates, died of an alleged heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand, his family confirmed in a statement.
“Shane was found unresponsive at his villa and despite all the efforts of the medical staff, he could not be revived,” the statement said.
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“The family wants privacy right now and will provide further details in a timely manner.
Attributed to the revival of the art of spinning legs, Warne made his test debut in 1992 against India, and by the time he ended his 15-year international career, the spinner had established himself as one of the greatest players of all time. Read more
He also had 293 goals out of 194 one-day players and won the award per man of the match when Australia beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final.
Thai police said Warne and three other friends were staying at a private villa and one of them went to inquire about him after the former cricketer did not show up for dinner.
“His friend resuscitated and called an ambulance,” Chachavin Nakmusik, a Koh Samui Bo Put police officer, told Reuters by telephone.
“Then the emergency department arrived and did another resuscitation in 10-20 minutes. An ambulance from the Thai International Hospital arrived and took him there. They did CPR for five minutes and then he died. “
They did not know the cause of death, but did not treat it as suspicious, Chachavin added.
Warne’s death comes hours after another great Australian cricketer, guard Rod Marsh, died on Friday at the age of 74. Read more
Warne’s last post on Twitter, 12 hours before his death was announced, was a tribute to the March.
“It’s sad to hear that Rod Marsh has passed. He was a legend for our great game and an inspiration to so many young boys and girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket and gave so much – especially to players from Australia and England. Sending lots and lots of love for Ross and the family. “
GREAT FOR ALL TIMES
Rated by the esteemed Wisden Cricketers Almanac as one of the five greatest players of the 20th century, Warne was one of the most prominent players in the game’s crowd, whose craft and lifestyle often made headlines. Read more
The cunning spinner often flirts with controversy and endures 12 months of removal after a positive test for banned diuretics in 2003.
Often named the best captain Australia has ever had, he inspired the Rajasthan Royals for the Indian Premier League title in 2008. read more
Warne’s death sparked an avalanche of cricket respect.
His great Indian rival Sachin Tendulkar was “shocked, stunned and unhappy” by the death of “Warnie”.
“There has never been a boring moment with you around, on or off the field. We will always appreciate our on-field duels and off-field jokes. You have always had a special place for India and the Indians have had a special place for you,” Tendulkar tweeted.
West India, hit the great Viv Richards also paid tribute on Twitter. Read more
“Unbelievable. I’m shocked to the core. That can’t be true … Rest in peace, @ShaneWarne. There are no words to describe how I feel right now. A huge loss for cricket,” he wrote.
Australia’s test captain Pat Cummins called Warne a “cricket player once a century” and said the team currently playing in Pakistan was “numb from the news”.
“So many of us in the playing group grew up adoring him and as a result we fell in love with this great sport,” Cummins said.
“The game of cricket has never been the same since Shane showed up and will never be the same now that he’s gone. Rest in peace King.”
“It was a terrible few days for Australian cricket with the break-up of Rod Marsh and now Shane. Our thoughts are with the two families,” added Cummins. Read more
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Report by Simon Evans in Manchester, Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi and Patpicha Tanakasemppipat in Bangkok; Edited by Toby Davis
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