(CNN)Whether it was his bleach blonde hair or his devastating spin bowling that made the clubs shake and shake, Shane Warne did things his own way.
The Australian cricket star died on Friday aged 52 of a suspected heart attack, according to a statement from his management team.
Warne took over 1,000 international wickets, including 708 Test wickets, during his illustrious career – second only to Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan – and retired from cricket in 2013 as one of the greatest ever to play the sport.
He was a leading figure of the dominant Australia side of the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning several Ashes series and the 1999 World Cup.
Coupled with his dominance on the ball was his charismatic personality that propelled Warne from cricket star to global sports superstar.
“Warnie was a great cricketer of all time, a cricketer that comes only once in a century and his records will live forever,” said current Australia captain Pat Cummins, calling Warne “king” in his statement.
“We all grew up watching Warnie, adoring him, we all had posters on his wall, we all had his earrings. What we loved so much about Warnie was his showmanship, his charisma, his tactics, the way he wanted himself and the team around him to win teams around him to win games for Australia and most of all his incredibles Skills as a leg spinner.
“There are so many guys on this team and squad that still think he’s a hero… favorite player of all time. The game was never the same after Warnie showed up, and the game will never be the same after his death.
“Rest in Peace, King.”
ball of the century
Not only was Warne a bowler who could almost single-handedly dominate games, he was also an entertainer, fond of bantering with England fans and often the subject of tabloid headlines.
While his first year playing international gave some hints that he was destined for success, a single ball he bowled in Manchester in 1993 completely changed the bowler’s perception.
Just a year after his international debut in 1992, Warne starred in his first Ashes series in England.
Adorned with his short, light blonde hair and his now-famous right-arm bowling action, Warne put on a stunning performance in what has been dubbed the “Ball of the Century.”
The delivery appeared to drive past the leg stump of England slugger Mike Gatting. He then bounced onto the field, spinning dramatically and missing Gatting’s stick before amazingly hitting the rebound.
Like many, Gatting looked stunned that such a seemingly innocuous delivery had cost him his wicket – former England player Graham Gooch said: “He looked like someone had just stolen his lunch.”
Warne’s ability to fly and spin the ball with such devastating effect helped revive leg spin from a forgotten art to a key component in modern cricket.
“The highlight of my cricket career was keeping the wicket to Warnie,” said Adam Gilchrist, Australia’s legendary wicketkeeper and long-time Warne team-mate. wrote on twitter.
“Best seat in the house to watch the Maestro at work. I’ve often felt a bit selfish that Heals and I are pretty much exclusively the only ones who have had this thrill and test-level pleasure. Rip Warnie.
Other cricket greats were quick to recognize Warne’s remarkable talent.
“Shocked, stunned and unhappy” wrote Indian Sachin Tendulkar – widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time.
“There was never a dull moment with you, on or off the field. We will always cherish our duels on the field and our banter off the field. You always had a special place for India and Indians had a special place for you.
“Gone too young!”
Former Indian national bats Virender Sehwag called on Twitter: “One of the biggest crackpots, the man who made Spin cool, superstar Shane Warne is no more.
“Life is very fragile, but that is very difficult to fathom. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans around the world.”
“I’m shaken to the core”
During his more than 20-year career, Warne has won numerous trophies and awards.
In Australia’s victorious 1999 World Cup team, Warne picked up the Man of the Match award in the final. He was named one of Wisden’s top five players of the 20th century and selected by Wisden in an eternal World XI test to celebrate 150 years of the Cricket Almanack.
Away from international cricket, Warne also played a crucial role in making the Indian Premier League (IPL) the giant it is today.
In 2008 he led the Rajasthan Royals to their first IPL title, something he believes gave the tournament “credibility because the underdog is doing well”.
“Then to win it the way we did it put the IPL on the map. Any underdog story like this – you look at Leicester City what they did. It’s quite an amazing story,” Warne told CNN in 2019, alluding to the football underdog’s remarkable triumph in the Premier League in 2016.
“I was very fortunate to play in an era of Australian cricket where we were super successful. We’ve beaten every team home and away, won World Cups and Ashes series, so we’ve had some great results.
“Being part of all this with the Aussies and doing these things was great, but the IPL was completely different.”
Warne played his entire domestic cricket career in Australia with his hometown of Victoria but had stints with Hampshire in England.
“Absolutely shocked and disappointed to hear from Shane Warne, wrote former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara. “Legend and friend. I just can’t believe it.”
Former West Indian racket Vivian Richards too called on Twitter: “Incredible. I am deeply shocked. This can’t be true… Rest in peace, Shane Warne. There are no words to describe what I’m feeling right now. A great loss for cricket.”
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