Legendary Australian cricketer Shane Warne has died aged 52. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time taking 708 wickets in 145 Tests for Australia.
He bowled the 'Ball of the Century' to England's Mike Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993 during the Ashes which announced his arrival on the world stage.
Tributes have been pouring in from the sports world following the shocking news of the death of one of cricket's great characters.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist posted a very simple message:
Warne retired from international cricket in 2007 and went out in style. His final Test series was the home Ashes in 2006-07, where Australia thumped England 5-0. He claimed his 700th wicket during the series. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar paid tribute to the legendary leg-spinner:
He holds the record for the most Ashes wickets in history, with 195 dismissals in 36 Tests. Following his international retirement, Warne continued to play Twenty20 franchise cricket until retiring from all formats in 2013.
Former England batter Ian Bell played against Warne several times in his Test career had this to say about the shocking news:
He worked regularly as a commentator and pundit, as well as holding coaching roles at T20 franchises.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag paid tribute to the Aussie icon:
Warne was the reason he began playing cricket said Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan: