Former Australian cricketer and spin bowling legend Shane Warne has died of a heart attack at the age of 52.
Warne was the second highest wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket, taking 708 wickets behind Muttiah Muralitharan. Warne took 293 wickets in 194 ODIs for Australia. The right-handed batsman was also instrumental in scoring 3,154 runs in his Test career. He scored 1,018 runs in 50 overs format. The leg-spinner took a total of 1001 wickets and became the first bowler to reach 1,000 international wickets.
Warne made his Test debut against India at the legendary Sydney Cricket Ground and was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century for his unparalleled 15 – year career between 1992 and 2007. In 2013, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. He helped Australia win the 1999 World Cup and took more wickets (195) than any other bowler in Ashes cricket .
After retiring from international cricket, Warne became the captain and coach of the Rajasthan Royals’. He was a brilliant personality both on and off the field. Warne was successful as a commentator and was regarded as one of the game’s sharpest analysts.
RIP Shane Warne
