Australia cricket legend Shane Warne has died, aged 52 - 'The man who made spin cool'
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA: Australian spinner Shane Warne in 2006.
Australia great Shane Warne, one of the finest bowlers of all time who revived the art of leg-spin, has died aged 52 following a suspected heart attack.
Warne - a larger-than-life character whose 708 Test wickets has only been surpassed by contemporary rival and fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan - could not be revived after being found unresponsive in his Thailand villa.
"It is with great sadness we advise that Shane Keith Warne passed away of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand today, Friday 4 March," a statement from his management company MPC Entertainment read.
The statement added: "Shane was found unresponsive in his Villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived.
"The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course."
Warne - who was the joint-leading wicket-taker as Australia won the 1999 World Cup and finished with 293 one-day dismissals in 194 matches - brought an illustrious 15-year international career to an end in 2007.
Following the deaths of Warne and Rod Marsh, Australia opener David Warner tweeted: "Two legends of our game have left us too soon. I'm lost for words, and this is extremely sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Marsh and Warne family. I just can not believe it. #rip, you will both be missed"
As tributes pour in, Indian legend Virender Sehwag called 'superstar' Warne “the man who made spin cool”.
“Life is very fragile, but this is very difficult to fathom,” he added “My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans all around the world.”
Former England captain Ebony Rainford-Brent, who worked with Warne on Sky’s cricket coverage, wrote on Twitter: “What an absolute legend of the game and loved by so many. The game has lost one of the greats. In shock. Sad day for the cricket world.”
India captain Rohit Sharma tweeted: "I'm truly lost for words here, this is extremely sad. An absolute legend and champion of our game has left us. RIP Shane Warne....still can't believe it."
Named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, alongside Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Sir Viv Richards, Warne's impact on the game is immediately apparent.
His leg breaks, googlies, flippers and sliders bamboozled many accomplished batters and England were often in his crosshairs. He took 195 wickets at 23.25 with 11 five-fors and four 10-wicket match hauls against the old rivals.
But there was also an affinity with England, with Warne representing Hampshire with distinction from 2000 to 2007.
While he was celebrated on the field, there was a darker side as he and Mark Waugh were fined for accepting money from a bookmaker while he was suspended for 12 months before the start of the 2003 World Cup after testing positive for a diuretic.
However, he established his legacy upon his return, becoming the first bowler to reach 700 Test wickets before bowing out after helping Australia seal a 5-0 Ashes victory in the 2006/07 series.
He continued to play on the franchise Twenty20 circuit before retiring from playing altogether in 2013, after which he became well-renowned for his insight and forthright opinion as a commentator and pundit.
The England men's team are currently in the Caribbean, preparing for a three-Test series against the West Indies.
Ahead of the final day of their warm-up against a Cricket West Indies President's XI, the players and umpires stood in the middle for a minute's silence in honour of Warne.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes wrote on Instagram: "Australian Legend "@rajasthanroyals Legend "Was an honour to know you and work with you "This man is a LEGEND
* Arguably the most famous and influential cricketer since Don Bradman, Warne is largely credited for revitalising the art of leg spin bowling after an era dominated by fast bowlers.
* Was named as one of Wisden’s five best players of the 20th century.
* First player to take 700 wickets, although his record was ultimately surpassed by Muttiah Muralitharan.
* Chosen for the 1993 Ashes tour of England a year after an unpromising test debut, Warne bowled England captain Mike Gatting with his first delivery, later dubbed “the ball of the century.”
* Became the first player in over 90 years to take a hat-trick in the Ashes when he achieved the feat against England at Melbourne in 1994.
* Broke Dennis Lillee’s Australian record of 355 test wickets on tour in New Zealand in 2000 but then lost the test vice-captaincy for sending lewd text messages to an English nurse.
* Took 40 wickets in the 2005 Ashes series and finished the year with 96 to break Lillee’s long-standing world record of 85 in a calendar year.
* Bowled Monty Panesar to seal Australia’s victory in the third test against England to regain the Ashes in 2006 and three days later announced he would quit international cricket at the end of the series.
* Reached the once-unthinkable 700 wicket milestone in his penultimate test and clinched his 708th in the final test which sealed a 5-0 whitewash for Australia.
* Retired from first class cricket after a season with English county Hampshire but was lured back by the riches of the Indian Premier League in 2008, signing up as captain and coach of the Rajasthan Royals.
* Led the Royals to the first IPL title against the Chennai Super Kings.
* Announced his retirement from professional cricket via twitter (twitter.com/#!/warne888) in May 2011.
* Picked up the wicket of Rohit Sharma and led the Royals to a thumping 10-wicket victory in his final game as a professional cricketer.
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