Warne Was Watching Australia-Pakistan Test Before Passing Away of Heart Attack

Shane Warner passed away on Friday evening in Koh Samui. He was 52.

(Photo: BCCI)

Details emerging about Shane Warne's passing on Friday night reveal that he was following the Australia-Pakistan Test match on television before having the heart attack that claimed his life.

Warne's manager James Erskine has revealed that the spin legend was found unconscious in his room in a Koh Samui hotel by friend Andrew Neophitou who is the executive producer on his recently released documentary.

"They were meant to meet some people at 5pm. Neo (Neophitou) was next door, he's (Warner) always on time," Erskine said on a Fox Sport special show 'Remembering Shane Warne'.

"He realised he wasn't well. He tried to give mouth-to-mouth, tried to resuscitate him, he had no heartbeat, the ambulance came 20 minutes later and an hour and a bit later he was pronounced dead (at the Thai International Hospital)," he added.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Warne was found unconscious "with the historic first Test between Australia and Pakistan playing on the television". It said the legendary spinner was holidaying at a resort in Koh Samui, Thailand "as part of a rare extended holiday" and was scheduled to travel to the UK on his commentating assignment.

According to Erskine, Warne was off alcohol as he'd been dieting.

"He was on holiday, having a lie down, siesta, he hadn't been drinking, he'd been on this diet to lose weight," he said.

"He didn't drink much. Everyone thinks he's a big boozer but he's not a big boozer at all. I sent him a crate of wine, 10 years later it's still there. He doesn't drink, never took drugs, ever. He hated drugs so nothing untoward," added Erskine.

"He was going to do the things he likes doing. He was going to play in one or two poker competitions, play a lot of golf, be with his kids; that was about it; (to) have time to himself."

Erskine said Warne's children Brooke, Summer and Jackson were "shattered" and the spinner's father, Keith, had visited his grandchildren on Saturday to "comfort them".

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison led his country's tribute to the cricketing legend, saying Warne was "one of only a few that could approach the extraordinary achievements of the great Don Bradman".

"But Shane was more than this to Australians. Shane was one of our nation's greatest characters. His humour, his passion, his irreverence, his approachability ensured he was loved by all. Australians loved him. We all did," Morrison said.

The Victorian government has announced that the MCG's Great Southern Stand would be renamed the S.K. Warne Stand in memory of the leg-spinner. Warne notched his 700th Test wicket at the MCG.

"The S.K. Warne Stand will be a permanent tribute to an amazing Victorian," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews tweeted.

(With inputs from IANS)