Warne was found dead in his villa at Koh Samui in Thailand of a suspected heart attack. “Shane was found unresponsive and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” a statement released by Warne’s management said.
Around 7.30 PM India time on Friday, March 4, the world of cricket lost not just one of its greatest cricketers but also one its greatest characters: Aussie legend and the greatest leg spinner of all time, Shane Warne has died. He was 52.
Warne was found dead in his villa at Koh Samui in Thailand of a suspected heart attack. “Shane was found unresponsive and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” a statement released by Warne’s management said.
“The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course.”
Most followers of the game will be grieving the passing away of the greatest leg-spinner in the history of the sport. Till the very end, Shane Warne remained the master of the surprise – providing everyone what they least expected.
After Australian cricket legend Shane Warne passed away on Friday at the age of 52, Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar expressed grief and shock at the development.
He said: “Shane Warne was one of the greatest cricket players in history and helped Australia win the World Cup in 1999. You always had a special place for India’. Warne also had epic duels with Sachin Tendulkar on the field
“Shocked, stunned & miserable…,” wrote Tendulkar on Twitter.
“Will miss you Warnie. There was never a dull moment with you around, on or off the field. Will always treasure our on field duels & off field banter. You always had a special place for India & Indians had a special place for you.
“Gone too young,” he added.
Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar remained good friends even after retiring from international cricket.
Warne, was one of the greatest cricket players in history who helped Australia win the World Cup in 1999 and was part of five Ashes-winning teams during his career.
His stature in the game revived the entire genre of leg-spin bowling. At one time in the 1990s, Warne, Anil Kumble and Mushtaq Ahmed – three very different practitioners of the same craft – made life difficult for batsmen everywhere.
A haul of 708 wickets in 145 Tests would be enough to make any cricketer one of the very best, but what Warne brought in the way of drama and cerebral stimulation added another dimension to the game.
Cricket is a physical activity, but in Warne’s case it became almost an intellectual exercise.
Warne had an uncanny ability to read the game and the batsmen, an attacking mindset and his positive outlook at all times made him a tactical genius
It’s no exaggeration to say that there was no one in cricket like Warne. Few bowled leg-spin like him — 708 Test and 293 ODI wickets from 1992 to 2007 — are proof of that. Fewer still lived life fuller than Warne.
Warne is regarded as one of the finest leg-spin bowlers of all time after a career in which he took 708 test wickets in a test career which spans from 1992 to 2007. He later played in the Indian Premier League and other Twenty20 competitions before retiring from all international cricket in 2013 but continued to be involved in the game as a broadcaster.
************************************************************************
Readers