Shane Warne, the legendary Australian spinner, is no more. He was 52 years old.
He died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand. Warne’s management confirmed his demise in a statement that reads –
“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”
the statement added.
The leg spinner was affectionately called ‘Warnie’ by his peers in the game. His exceptional leg spin bowling made him an icon and an inspiration for many of the cricketers across the world.
Even after his retirement, remained associated with the game as commentator and a coach. Post retirement, Warne famously guided Rajasthan Royals to a fairy-tale title win in the inaugural season of Indian Premier League in 2008 as their captain and coach.
The world of cricket is shocked
The news of his death has sent shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity. Many cricketers took to social media to pay tribute to one of the greatest bowlers in cricket.
An exceptional record as a bowler
Warne was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century, claimed 708 Test wickets in a 15-year career between 1992 and 2007. He was also a World Cup winner with Australia in 1999. Warne overall played 145 Tests and 194 ODIs between 1992 and 2007 and took a combined 1001 wickets during his storied international career.
