Sports

Goodbye Shane Warne: Remembering an iconic cricketer who ruled his game in dawn and dusk!

By alagu, 04 March, 2022
Shane Warne, Cricket, Australia

In a shocking piece of news, Australia's iconic cricketer Shane Warne has passed away at the age of 52 in Thailand due to a suspected heart attack. Warne's management has released a brief statement in the evening hours of Friday (IST) confirming the demise of the veteran cricketer, who was the king of spin bowling. 

Warne was at his villa in Koh Samui in Thailand. The statement 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. After learning about the demise, several cricketers from across and beyond the borders have been paying tribute and remembering his superlative contribution to the cricket ecosystem. 

For millions across the globe, Shane Warne has been an inspirational figure and he has been highly regarded as the greatest bowler of all time. He ruled spin bowling throughout his walk with Australian cricket. He has been a doyen of the cricket and his resplendent international career had spanned for 15 years during which he took 708 Test Wickets - the most ever for an Australian, and the second-most of all time only behind legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. 

Fondly known as 'Warnie', Shane Warne had made his Test debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1992 and he was part of the Australian team that won the World Cup in 1999 and five Ashes-winning sides between 1993 to 2003. Warne had also bagged 293 One-Day International Wickets and made more than 300 appearances for Australia across all formats. 

Born as Shane Keith Warne on 13th September 1969, in Victoria, Warne's unpredictable techniques of bowling kept him the King of leg-spin. He played for Australia from 1992 to 2007 and appeared in 145 Tests and 194 ODIs. He played his last ODI on 10th January 2005 and he retired from International Cricket in January 2007 at the end of Australia's 5-0 Ashes series victory over England. 

Following his retirement at the age of 37, Warne had played for several counties and he also captained the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Under his captaincy, the Royals won the first IPL title in 2008. He has been an icon even after his retirement and in 2013, Warne was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. 

The news of his demise has become the second devastating blow for Australian cricket within 24 hours with another greatest cricketer Rod Marsh had passed away on Thursday due to a major heart attack. Even Shane Warne had paid tribute to Marsh following the latter's demise. He wrote, "Sad to hear the news that Rod Marsh has passed. He was a legend of our great game & inspiration to so many young boys & girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket & gave so much-especially to Australia & England players. Sending lots & lots of love to Ros & the family. RIP mate." 

However, within hours, Warne has also died leaving the world to mourn his loss. This tweet has become his last and millions across the globe have been grieving the loss of Shane Warne. Reacting to Warne's demise, veteran Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag wrote, "Cannot believe it. One of the greatest spinners, the man who made spin cool, superstar Shane Warne is no more. Life is very fragile, but this is very difficult to fathom. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans all around the world." 

 

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