Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne dies aged 52

Shane Warne, one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game, has passed away at age 52 due to a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Koh Samui, Thailand. The legendary leg-spinner was widely considered as the best spinner of all time, and enjoyed a storied career for Australia that spanned 15 years and included 145 Tests and 194 ODIs.

Warne’s untimely death was confirmed in a statement from his management company MPC Entertainment which said, “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. 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 finished as the second-highest wicket-taker of all time in Test cricket behind Muttiah Muralitharan, picking up 708 scalps for Australia between 1992 and 2007 at a phenomenal average of 25.1. Warne also won the 1999 ODI Cricket World Cup with Australia, winning the man of the match award in both the semi-final and final to help kickstart Australia’s period of dominance in the competition.

After an indifferent start to his career against India in 1992, Warne announced his arrival on the international stage with a match-winning 7-fer in the second innings against the West Indies in the 92-93 boxing day Test. The King of Spin then followed that up by dismissing Mike Gatting with his first ball of the 1993 Ashes with what is famously known as the ball of the century.

Warne continued to torment the English batters for the rest of his career, finishing with 195 Test wickets against them in 36 Test matches, including 40 scalps in the famous 2005 Ashes series, which won him the player of the series award.

Warne picked up his 700th wicket at his home ground in Melbourne in the 2006-07 Ashes series and retired from the game alongside fellow teammates Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer after the next Test in Sydney following Australia’s 5-0 whitewash against England.

Warne also grabbed the headlines in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008 as he led an underdog Rajasthan Royals team to victory, picking up 19 wickets in the tournament and scoring the winning runs alongside Sohail Tanvir in the final against CSK.

The tributes for the great man have flown in from across the world on social media since the announcement of his sudden passing, and Victoria’s minister of tourism – Martin Pakula – has also announced that the famous Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be renamed as the ‘S.K Warne Stand’ in his honour.