“It is with great sadness that we advise you that Shane Keith Warne died of an alleged heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand today, Friday, March 4,” MPC Entertainment said in a statement.
“Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite all the efforts of the medical staff, he could not be revived.
“The family wants privacy right now and will provide further details in a timely manner.
Warne was one of the deadliest cricketers, with 708 test gates in his name – the most for an Australian and the second most for all time after only Mutia Muralitaran from Sri Lanka.
He was named Wisden’s leading cricketer in the world in three separate cases and one of Wisden’s five cricketers in the 20th century. As a legacy, Warne’s is unsurpassed – the greatest spinning foot in the sport.
Perhaps his greatest moment came in the Ashes series against England in 1993, when he presented the “ball of the century” to the completely deceptive Mike Gatting. The video of the delivery was widely circulated on social media as news of his death spread.
Warne is the last tweet came just 12 hours before his death was confirmed as he paid tribute to another Australian cricket icon, Rod Marsh, who died of a heart attack at the age of 74.
More to come …