Aussie cricketer Shane Warne tragically died of a suspected heart attack while on vacation in Thailand on Friday. Warne, widely perceived as one of the best bowlers of all time, finished his illustrious international career with 708 wickets in 145 appearances. Following the news of Warne’s death, tributes have started pouring in.
Warne and three other companions were staying in a private villa in Koh Samui, according to Thai police, and one of them went to check about him after he failed to show up for dinner. According to a FOX Cricket report, Andrew Neophitou, Warne’s close friend and associate, knocked on Warne’s door at 5:15 p.m.
James Erskine, Warne’s manager, spoke to FOX Cricket about the unfortunate incident in great detail.
“This was the beginning of Shane’s three-month vacation,” Erskine explained.
“They hadn’t come till the previous night.”
They were going out for a drink at 5 p.m., but (Neophitou) knocked on Shane’s door at about 5.15 p.m. because Warnie was always on time, saying, “come on, you’re going to be late,” and then realized something was wrong.”
A friend performed CPR on him and phoned an ambulance, according to a Thai police officer.
“A buddy gave him CPR and phoned an ambulance,” Chatchawin Nakmusik, a Bo Put police officer, told Reuters by phone.
“An emergency response team then arrived and performed 10-20 minutes of CPR.” Then a Thai International Hospital ambulance arrived and brought him there. They performed CPR for five minutes before he died.”
Anil Kumble, the former India leg-spinner who was a contemporary of Warne and later had a good friendship with the Australian icon, also paid tribute to the late player on Saturday. During a special episode on Star Sports during Day 2 of the India-Sri Lanka Test in Mohali, Anil Kumble reflected on his time playing against Warne’s Australia and revealed the team’s “untold secret”:
“His greatness was amplified by his outstanding performance versus India. He aspired to do very well against us because we were skilled spinners. In 1998, there was a series called ‘Sachin vs Warne,’ and everyone was talking about it. In the first innings, Warne got the best of him, and then Sachin got the better of him in the second,” Kumble added.
“There was this unspoken secret about the Australian team: if you’re friends with Shane Warne, they won’t go after you as a player.” So, unless you were buddies with Warne, you didn’t get any banter from the Aussies when you went out to bat. When I went to bat, the Aussies didn’t have to say anything to make me nervous. That was Warnie, and that was how he looked after his mates,” Kumble said as he paid tribute to the Australian legend.
Shane Warne was the first spinner to reach 700 wickets in Test cricket, and he finished his career as the game’s leading wicket-taker before being surpassed by Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka (800 wickets).
Shane Warne, a legendary former cricketer, has passed on to the afterlife. He was a member of five Ashes-winning squads and helped Australia win the 1999 World Cup during his stint as an Australian spinner. Not just the cricketing fraternity, but also celebrities from the South, have been shocked by the untimely loss of the famous batsman.
“Shocked and heartbroken by the news,” Mahesh Babu posted alongside a photo of Shane Warne on Instagram. It’s been a really sad day for cricket fans all over the world. Rest in peace, my friend. Rodney Marsh and Shane Warne, #Legends, you will be sorely missed.”
Rakul Preet Singh wrote, “A devastating loss for the cricket world.” May you rest in peace, legend.” Nani was also full of praise for the former bowler. ‘I can’t believe this,’ Vignesh Shivan wrote. Several other Bollywood celebrities also paid homage to the legend. Sunny Deol, Huma Qureshi, Ananya Pandey, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Ranveer Singh were among the celebrities that mourned Shane Warne’s death.
Venkatesh Daggubati said on Twitter, “I’m still trying to process the news of his death! Shane Warne will be remembered as the sports legend that he was, is, and always will be! #RestInPeaceShaneWarne”
“Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be resuscitated,” his management team said in a statement released last night regarding Shane Warne’s untimely departure. The family wants privacy at this time and will share additional information as soon as possible.”
Shane is regarded as one of the best leg spinners of all time, with 708 test match wickets to his name. Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka exceeded his record. The death of Shane Warne is a huge loss for cricket.
In 1992, Warne made his Test debut against India and by the end of his 15-year international career, he had cemented his place as one of the game’s all-time greats.