Shane Warne, the Australian cricket legend and former 888Poker ambassador, has died at the age of 52 from a suspected heart attack.
The former spin bowler was found unresponsive in his villa on the Thai island of Koh Samui earlier today. A statement from Warne’s management team requested privacy at this time but said that more details would follow in due course.
“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,” read the press statement.
Shane Warne leaves his mark
Warne was the record-breaking former captain of Australia’s cricket team. Over the span of decade, he took over 1,000 international wickets, making him one of the best bowlers in history.
After retiring from the sport in 2013, Warne satisfied his competitive urges at the poker table. However, his passion for the game started long before that. Impromptu games with his teammates eventually turned into a deal with 888Poker.
Warne initially agreed a two-year partnership in 2008, but went on to represent the company until 2015. Even after his time with 888Poker came to an end, Warne remained a firm fixture at the Aussie Millions and WSOP. He also used poker as a way of raising funds for his charity, the Shane Warne Foundation.
Sad to hear Shane Warne has died.We had a lot of fun times hanging out in London and Vegas when we were both sponsored by @888poker. He certainly lived as though he knew he was in a race against the https://t.co/8POae7oMLJ.
— Padraig Parkinson (@padraigpoker) March 4, 2022
As expected, poker players around the world have been posting messages of condolence on social media. Tony G, who spent a large part of his early life in Australia, expressed his shock and sadness.
I really cannot believe the sad news about the passing of @ShaneWarne – it was only a few days ago that we had a conversation about having a poker game soon. He will go down as a sporting legend of the century. He also did a lot for raising the profile of poker worldwide.
— Tony G (@TonyGuoga) March 4, 2022
Cricket star bowled over by poker
British poker pro Keith Hawkins reminisced about the time he sat next to Warne at the WSOP. The media attention Warne received caused an American to ask “who the f**k” is the guy everyone was taking pictures of.
Such sad news. RIP Warney pic.twitter.com/hyAGLd8qE3
— Keith Hawkins (@keiththecamel) March 4, 2022
The best way Hawkins could describe Warne was as cricket’s version of Michael Jordan. That comparison wasn’t too far wide of the stumps because Warne transcended cricket.
Great guy, loved poker. Interacted with him only a few times but he was always full of life and excitement. Way too young. https://t.co/gnXn3oEsgd
— Remko Rinkema (@RemkoRinkema) March 4, 2022
He had a high-profile relationship with actress Liz Hurley, he appeared on countless TV shows, and there’s a documentary about his life on Amazon Prime. He was also a poker player and someone people in the industry will remember fondly.
