(CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) and batting icon Brian Lara have led tributes to Australia spin wizard Shane Warne, who passed away yesterday from a suspected heart attack.

The 52-year was found unresponsive in his villa on the island of Koh Samui off Thailand where he was staying, and subsequent efforts to revive him proved futile, a statement from the player’s management company said.
Warne has been widely credited for reviving the art of spin bowling, snatching a record 708 wickets from 145 Tests in an outstanding career that paralleled Australia’s dominance in world cricket.

“It is with great sadness that Cricket West Indies would like to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Shane Warne at the shocking news of the passing of one of the finest bowlers of all-time,” said CWI president Ricky Skerritt.

“He revived the art of leg-spin and was feared but respected by many batters around the world.
“Shane was adored by many West Indian cricket fans and more importantly was a friend to many West Indian cricketers.”

Warne was also a close friend of West Indies batting icon Brian Lara with whom he shared many battles, during his playing career.
Lara, 52, also paid tribute to Warne, hailing him as “one of the greatest sportsmen of all-time”.

“I’m speechless at the moment. I literally don’t know how to sum up this situation. My friend is gone!!” tweeted Lara.
“We have lost one of the greatest sportsmen of all-time!! My condolences go out to his family RIP Warnie!! You will be missed.”

Warne faced West Indies for the first time in Tests early in his career when the Caribbean side toured Down Under in 1993. He snatched a Man-of-the-Match seven-wicket haul in the second innings of the Melbourne second Test to fire Australia to a 139-run victory.

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons, who made 110 in that second innings, described Warne’s death as a “sad day for cricket”.
“I played against him earlier in his career. He transformed bowling, especially leg-spin bowling … he had a big impact all over the cricket world,” Simmons said.

“I remember him playing against us and his battles with Brian Lara, and then we can all remember ‘that ball’ when he bowled Mike Gatting in The Ashes.
“We also admired his commentary after he ended playing and how great he was at that as well. He was a true legend of the game.”

Cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), also praised Warne’s contribution to the game, with chief executive Geoff Allardice praising the late player’s “extraordinary skill and immense cricketing intellect”.

“I was stunned to hear the news of Shane’s passing. He was a true legend of the game, who changed the landscape of cricket by reviving the art of leg-spin,” said Allardice.
“His larger-than-life personality, extraordinary skill and immense cricketing intellect ensured fans were glued to their seats whenever he was involved in a game.

“His contribution off the field was also remarkable, where he shared his time and experiences so generously with young players, especially up and coming leg-spinners.

“He also established a successful career in the commentary box, where his insightful and forthright views on the game made him one of the first-choice commentators for broadcasters in most cricketing countries.”

Warne also added 293 wickets from 104 One-Day Internationals before quitting international cricket in 2007, and retired from all formats in 2013, following a stint in franchise Twenty20 cricket.

In 2000, he was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers-of-the-Century, pitted alongside the fabled Sir Donald Bradman, West Indies legends Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Vivian Richards, and Sir Jack Hobbs of England.