Shane Warne: Latest news and tributes as Australian cricket legend’s death not treated as suspicious

Joe Root admitted he idolised Shane Warne in his youth and so he and the rest of England’s dressing room have been rocked by the death of the former Australia leg-spinner at the age of 52.

Warne was unable to be revived after suffering a suspected heart attack at his Koh Samui villa in Thailand on Friday but leaves an indelible mark on cricket, having taken 708 wickets in 145 Tests between 1992 and 2007.

He was particularly influential against England with 195 wickets – the most by any bowler in the Ashes – and while Australia slipped to a 2-1 defeat in the famous 2005 series, Warne was in breathtaking form with 40 dismissals.

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Honest and genuine, competitive and gloriously talented, Shane Warne left behind a different, better sport to the one he found.

Long after the devastating news of Shane Warne’s passing had been confirmed on Friday, as various clips of his best work racked up their shares and teammates and opponents found the words to share their grief, it still did not feel real.

An icon of cricket, a totem of world-class sport and a bastion of Australia had died at the age of 52 of a suspected heart attack. And yet, as the news rides the waves back and forth in your mind, it is followed by the most flawed of denials. Shane Warne can’t die.

He can’t die because, well, what does cricket have left? It was there before him, but has not been the same since.

The best leg spinner and unquestionably the greatest showman. That it will go on without him is unfathomable. The electricity has been cut off from the block, and darkness closes in.

Shane Warne was a cricket icon but such was his raw charisma and instantly-recognisable look, he transcended the sport during his life.

The Australian cricket legend died of a suspected heart attack aged just 52 while in Koh Samui, Thailand, and could not be revived after he was found unresponsive in his Thailand villa.

Thai police have now released two further bits of information. They have confirmed that they are not treating the death as a suspicious and have also stated that he was found by associates staying in the same villa as Warne, who unsuccessfully tried to revive him.

Following news of his death, fellow celebrities rushed to pay tribute on social media.

Tributes have been paid to Shane Warne, the Australian cricket legend regarded as the greatest leg-spinner of all time, after his death from a suspected heart attack at the age of 52.

A statement from Warne’s management company said Warne had been found unresponsive at his villa in Thailand and “despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived.”

The Barmy Army, England’s supporters club, said Warne was a “complete genius” and “one of the game’s greatest characters” who is “forever etched in Ashes history”.

The England cricket team posted on Twitter: “One of the greatest of all-time. A legend. A genius. You changed Cricket. RIP Shane Warne”.

Shane Warne’s cricketing career was dotted with pieces of genius, as one of the most gifted spin bowlers to ever don a pair of whites invariably picked the most high-profile moments to deliver for Australia.

From the ‘Ball of the Century’ that bamboozled Mike Gatting and launched his career to an MCG hat-trick, World Cup success and a perfect Ashes swansong, Warne was never far away from the spotlight.

After a career that dazzled and enthralled, we look back at some of Warne’s most memorable moments.

Shane Warne, the legendary Australian spin bowler considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time, has died aged 52 of a suspected heart attack while in Thailand.

Warne was on the popular tourist island of Koh Samui when he was found. Local medics attended the scene but could not save him.

“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,” a statement from his management company MPC Entertainment read. “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.”

Michael Vaughan, who captained England to Ashes success in 2005 when Shane Warne claimed 40 wickets in the series, hailed the spinner following his tragic death at the age of just 52.

He wrote on Instagram: “I can’t tell you how hard it is to get this down in words, it’s just doesn’t feel real to be talking about someone who once was an enemy on the pitch to one who became a great friend off it.

“Shane was the greatest ever cricketer but more than that his character lit up every dressing room, comm box, bar, golf club & friendship group. His energy and positivity was beyond anyone I have ever known, he was loyal beyond loyal.

“At a time I needed support he was the first to pick up the phone & over (sic) advice/help & the most utmost support. I will never ever forget the warmth he & his family gave me this winter when I was down under for Xmas alone.

“To say I spent Warneys last Xmas with him & his family is so sad but one I will cherish. All of us eating Turkey, beef, the usual Xmas trimmings & the King to stick to his Lasagne sandwich’s with bread rolls plastered with butter .. that’s Warney, the superstar, the greatest, friends to world superstars.

“Everyone wanted to be around him but ultimately he was just a normal guy who could do incredible things.”

Shane Warne, the legendary Australian spin bowler considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time, has died aged 52 of a suspected heart attack while in Thailand.

Warne was on the popular tourist island of Koh Samui when he was found. Local medics attended the scene but could not save him.

Warne took 708 Test wickets for Australia, the second highest tally of all time behind only Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan. He played an instrumental part in Australia’s era of dominance through the 1990s and 2000s alongside fellow greats like Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, winning the 1999 World Cup and five Ashes series.

Watch the video below summarising the story:

Honest and genuine, competitive and gloriously talented, Shane Warne left behind a different, better sport to the one he found.

Long after the devastating news of Shane Warne’s passing had been confirmed on Friday, as various clips of his best work racked up their shares and teammates and opponents found the words to share their grief, it still did not feel real.

An icon of cricket, a totem of world-class sport and a bastion of Australia had died at the age of 52 of a suspected heart attack. And yet, as the news rides the waves back and forth in your mind, it is followed by the most flawed of denials. Shane Warne can’t die.

He can’t die because, well, what does cricket have left? It was there before him, but has not been the same since.

The best leg spinner and unquestionably the greatest showman. That it will go on without him is unfathomable. The electricity has been cut off from the block, and darkness closes in.

Mike Gatting - who was on the receiving end of Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’ that launched the Australian’s career into the stratosphere - called the leg-spinner cricket’s “number one” after the death of the Australian great on Friday.

Warne’s remarkable leg-break came at Old Trafford in the 1993 Ashes series, as he produced a delivery that landed outside of Gatting’s leg stump before spinning off the surface and hitting the top of off stump.

“It’s Absolutely devastating and I just feel so sad for his family. It is a huge loss to many, many people,” Gatting told Sky Sports News.

“Without a doubt, he is the number one ever. I should think there have been a lot of great cricketers, great spinners and great leg-spinners but Warnie will always be, certainly from my point of view, the number one.

“He had all the things a cricketer needed, a lot of self-confidence, a lot of ability, the discipline, passion and desire.

“Above all he had time to enjoy it. He had great fun playing cricket and resonated with a lot of youngsters. The inspirational leg-spin he bowled I am sure inspired many, many guys to take up leg-spin bowling.”