AUSTRALIA great Shane Warne, one of the finest bowlers of all time who revived the art of leg-spin, has died aged 52 following a suspected heart attack.
Warne – a larger-than-life character whose 708 Test wickets has only been surpassed by contemporary rival and fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan – could not be revived after being found unresponsive in his Thailand villa.
Read more: Shane Warne dead: Australian cricket legend dies aged 52 of 'suspected heart attack'
“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.
The statement added: “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.”
Warne – who was the joint-leading wicket-taker as Australia won the 1999 World Cup and finished with 293 one-day dismissals in 194 matches – brought an illustrious 15-year international career to an end in 2007.
The Australian great, a tormentor of England batsmen over the years, retired from Test match cricket in 2007 after his country's 5-0 Ashes whitewash Down Under.
But after his retirement, Warne carried on playing a full domestic season for Hampshire, where he spent seven years in total.
In his final year, he visited the Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street for a County Championship fixture against Durham.
The game, which took place in July 2007, didn't see the veteran leg spinner at his best.
Warne was wicketless in the first innings with figures of 0-73 off his 17 overs, as Durham racked up 252.
However, the home side secured a healthy first innings lead as Hampshire were bowled out for 115, with Warne scoring one of six balls.
The Aussie picked up two wickets in the second innings as Durham declared on 221-5. He had opener Will Smith caught behind by wicketkeeper Nic Pothas for 48 and had future England World Cup winning bowler Liam Plunkett stumped for 12.
Incredibly, it was Warne's batting that was the highlight of his trip the North East, as he hit 50 off 63 balls in the second innings as Hampshire held on to secure the draw.
Warne was back at Chester-le-Street in later years as part of his work with the Sky Sports cricket team.
The 4th Ashes Test was held in Durham in 2013 and Warne was working in the commentary box with David Gower and Sir Ian Botham.
England won the game by 74 runs - a victory which enabled them to retain the Ashes.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here