The whole cricketing community was left in utter shock as Australian bowling legend Shane Warne passed away, aged 52.

According to a statement released by Warne's management, the legendary leg-spinner passed away of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand.

“Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived,” read the statement released by Warne's management.

View this post on Instagram

“The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course,” it stated.

Warne was the greatest leg-spinner to have played the sport. With 708 wickets in just 145 appearances, he was the second-most successful bowler in the history of Test cricket, only behind Muttiah Muralitharan.

View this post on Instagram

The shocking news of his demise has numbed the whole cricketing community and billions of people who loved and admired him for his wonderful achievements on the field.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag was among the first cricketers who expressed his grief on the demise of the Aussie legend, who gave fans countless memories to cherish during his prolific international career.

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. pic.twitter.com/f7FUzZBaYX

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 4, 2022

Taking to the micro-blogging site he 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.”.

From Kevin Pietersen to Anil Kumble to Shoaib Akhtar, cricket legends from all around the world expressed their shock and mourned the loss of the legendary cricketer, who picked 1,001 wickets in international cricket.

Shocked, stunned & miserable…

Will miss you Warnie. There was never a dull moment with you around, on or off the field. Will always treasure our on field duels & off field banter. You always had a special place for India & Indians had a special place for you.

Gone too young! pic.twitter.com/219zIomwjB

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 4, 2022

Life is so fickle and unpredictable. I cannot process the passing of this great of our sport and also a person I got to know off the field. RIP #goat. Greatest to turn the cricket ball. pic.twitter.com/YtOkiBM53q

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 4, 2022

I’m truly lost for words here, this is extremely sad. An absolute legend and champion of our game has left us. RIP Shane Warne….still can’t believe it

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) March 4, 2022

****!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #RIPKing

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 4, 2022

Just heard the devastating news about legendary Shane Warne passing away. No words to describe how shocked & sad i am.
What a legend. What a man. What a cricketer. pic.twitter.com/4C8veEBFWS

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) March 4, 2022

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. pic.twitter.com/f7FUzZBaYX

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 4, 2022

Shane Warne was a crowd puller. Magician with the ball. Absolute legend of Australian cricket. First IPL winning captain. He will be missed, He will be remembered forever. #rip #shanewarne

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 4, 2022

Warne was part of the Australian team that dominated the world of cricket in the late 90s and early 2000s and attained the tag of invincibles. His leg-spin bowling played a crucial role in some of Australia’s biggest victories on home and foreign soil.

View this post on Instagram

Apart from being an exceptional bowler, Warne was also a terrific leader and he showed that when he guided Rajasthan Royals to the IPL triumph in the inaugural edition back in 2008. His team didn’t have any big names unlike some other franchises but he still managed to get the best out of them and propelled them to greatness.

View the full article