Shane Warne paid tribute to Rod Marsh in final tweet hours before tragic death

03/04/2022

Australian cricket legend Shane Warne paid tribute to Rod Marsh shortly before he himself died at the age of 52.

Leg-spinner Warne, widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, could not be revived after being found unresponsive following a cardiac arrest at his villa in Koh Samui, Thailand.

Warne took 708 Test match wickets for his country but his legacy extended way beyond statistics, with his ability to outthink batsman and produce memorable deliveries cementing a reputation whereby entertainment and quality went hand in hand.

His opening Ashes delivery in 1993, which pitched way outside England batsman Mike Gatting's legs before spinning wickedly and taking the top of off stump, was dubbed "the ball from hell" and has since gone down in folklore.

He was also part of the Australian ODI squad that captured the 1999 World Cup on English soil, and was also revered at Hampshire, who he represented, and captained, intermittently between 2000 and 2007.

Warne was regularly active on social media and in a cruel irony, his final Twitter post was a tribute to another Australian great, wicketkeeper Marsh, who died on Thursday.

"Sad to hear the news that Rod Marsh has passed," he wrote.

"He was a legend of our great game and an inspiration to so many young boys and girls. Rod cared deeply about cricket and gave so much-especially to Australia and England players. Sending lots and lots of love to Ros and the family. RIP mate."

He posted a similar message on Instagram, before bidding his followers good night from his location in Koh Samui.

Warne never captained Australia, a notion perceived as a waste by many pundits, fans, and former teammates, but his love for the game continued post his retirement from Test level following the famous Ashes whitewash of 2006/07.

He led the Rajasthan Royals to the title in the inaugural Indian Premier League in 2008, and worked as a pundit around the world, including in England with Sky Sports.

Since the news announced on a Friday lunchtime, tributes have flooded in on Twitter, with the MCC account posting: "MCC is deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Honorary Life Member and World Cricket committee member, Shane Warne.

"Shane was one of the finest cricketers ever to have played the game. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

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