Shane Warne, one of the Australian legendary cricketers, has died of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand, while on holiday, according to ESPN Cricinfo. He was 52.
“Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” according to a statement from his manager Michael Cohen. “The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course.”
Warne, who was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century, took 708 Test wickets in a 15-year career for Australia from 1992 to 2007. He was also an ODI World Cup winner in 1999.
Thai Police said Warne and three other friends were staying in a private villa, according to Reuters. One of them went to inquire about him after the former leg-spinner did not turn up for dinner.
Chatchawin Nakmusik, an officer with the Bo Put police in Koh Samui, told Reuters by phone, “The friend did CPR on him and called an ambulance. An emergency response unit then arrived and did another CPR for 10-20 minutes. Then an ambulance from the Thai International Hospital arrived and took him there. They did CPR for five minutes, and then he died.”
Nakmusik said the police did not know the cause of death but were not treating it as suspicious.
Known as “Warnie” throughout the cricketing fraternity, Warne was undeniably one of the true legends of world cricket. He almost singlehandedly revived the art of leg-spin in the early 1990s.
Off the field, Warne was involved in a few controversies. In 1995, he and his then team-mate Mark Waugh were fined for giving information to an Indian bookmaker during the previous year’s tour of Sri Lanka, per ESPN Cricinfo.
In 2003, on the eve of that year’s ODI (One Day International) World Cup, Warne was suspended for a year after a banned diuretic was found during a routine drugs test. At the time, he claimed that his mother gave him the drug to help him lose weight.
He retired from international cricket in the 2006-07 Ashes, leaving the field along with his long-term teammate Glenn McGrath after reclaiming the Ashes with a 5-0 whitewash.
After retirement, Warne became a commentator, primarily for Fox Sports in Australia. He has also taken active roles in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).
Former teammates and rivals alike paid tributes to Warne.
Brian Lara one of the greatest West Indies batsmen, tweeted an image of a broken heart, stating, “Speechless at the moment. I literally don’t know how to sum up this situation. My friend is gone!! We have lost one of the Greatest Sportsmen of all time!! My condolences goes out to his family. RIP Warnie!! You will be missed.”
Adam Gilchrist, Australia’s former wicket-keeper, said, “Numb. The highlight of my cricketing career was to keep wicket to Warnie. Best seat in the house to watch the maestro at work. Have often felt a tad selfish, that Heals [Ian Healy] and I pretty much exclusively are the only ones who had that thrill and pleasure at Test level. Rip Warnie.”
Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, Warne’s long-time rival and friend, tweeted, “Shocked, stunned & miserable… 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!”
