NEW DELHI: Australian cricketer Shane Warne, one of the finest spin bowlers of all time whose talent and personality transcended the sport, died aged 52 on Friday. He is survived by two daughters and a son.
Warne, who ended his spell-binding international career in 2007 with a remarkable 708 test wickets, died from a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand, his family confirmed in a statement. "Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived," the statement reported by various media outlets said. "The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course."
An iconic name in international cricket, Warne, since making his debut in 1992, played 145 Tests for Australia, picking up 708 wickets with his leg-spin. In his 194 ODI appearances, Warne snared 293 scalps.
A flamboyant personality both on and off the field, Warne also appeared in several TV commercials, that was loved by people across the globe. Take a look at some of them below:
Shane Warne and Darren Lehmann feature in a soft drink commercial that appears to have been shot in 1998. The ad shows the Australian spin legend in a challenge game with a group of boys on the streets of Pakistan.
Shane Warne features in an ad for a famous clothing brand
Shane Warne in advertising campaign for Advanced Hair Studio
Shane Warne in soft drink ad also featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Carl Hooper
Australian TV commercial featuring cricketer Shane Warne speaking in Italian for Leggo's stir-through pasta sauces.
An HDFC ad featuring Shane Warne
Shane Warne was immensely popular in India and his connection with the country went back to his debut when Ravi Shastri became his first Test wicket. After retiring, Warne added to his legend by doubling up as captain and coach of IPL team Rajasthan Royals and guiding them to a remarkable title triumph in the event's inaugural edition.
