"It is like all these things you work on adrenaline" - Shane Warne's manager sheds details behind tragic passing of legend
James Erskine, the manager and close friend of the legendary Shane Warne, has recounted the sequence of events that unfolded during the fateful night in Thailand.
The former leg-spinner was declared dead in his hotel room following a suspected heart attack, leaving the cricketing world crestfallen and in disbelief.
Unbelievable. Shane Warne has died, aged 52 😢
cricket.com.au/news/shane-war…
According to Erskine, the 52-year-old Warne visited Thailand for a vacation after a three-month leave from Fox Cricket.
After landing in the Asian country the night before, the legendary player had planned to leave for a stroll at 5 in the evening. Medical staff was called after he was found unresponsive in his room by the player's other manager, Andrew Neophitou.
During Fox Cricket's Shane Warne tribute special, Erskine said:
“I got a phone call at 10:37 last night form our guy Andrew Neophitou in Thailand. He only arrived the night before. Then suddenly . . . they were going to have a drink at 5 and Neo (Neophitou) knocked on his door at 5:15 because Warnie was always on time."
Erskine continued:
“What happened was he went in there and said, 'Come on, you are going to be late', and then realised that something was wrong. He turned him over and gave him CPR. That lasted about 20 minutes, then obviously the ambulance came. They took him to the hospita,l which was about a 20-minute drive. I got a phone call about 45 minutes later saying that he was pronounced dead. It is like all these things you work on adrenaline.”
The flamboyant player, arguably the greatest spinner of all time, represented Australia in 145 Tests and 194 ODIs during a career spanning 15 years. He is survived by his parents, wife and three children.
"You don't expect someone to die at 52" - James Erskine on Shane Warne's demise
The manager was entrusted with the difficult task of informing the 52-year-old's close ones about the untimely demise. He informed the player's father, Keith, and asked him to wait for official confirmation before informing others.
Numb. The highlight of my cricketing career was to keep wicket to Warnie. Best seat in the house to watch the maestro at work. Have often felt a tad selfish, that Heals and I pretty much exclusively are the only ones who had that thrill and pleasure at Test level. Rip Warnie.💔😢
Terming the legend an extraordinary human being, Erksine said:
"It is one of these things that when someone is larger than life, you don’t expect them to die. I think that is probably a very good analogy. You don’t expect someone to die at 52. You don’t expect Shane Warne to die because he was an extraordinary human being."
The former cricketer's larger-than-life persona often attracted controversies, but his contributions to the game on and off the field are quite unparalleled.