Shane Warne: The Australia cricket legend's career in pictures

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Shane Warne in action in 2005Image source, Getty Images
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Warne died on the Thai island of Koh Samui on Friday

Shane Warne's death, aged 52, following a suspected heart attack has shocked the sporting world.

As cricket mourns the passing of one of its greatest players, so Australia grieves the loss of one of its favourite sons.

Warne - or Warnie, as he was famously known - was the king of spin, a loveable larrikin whose stellar career was hit by controversy, and whose star power transcended the pitch where he weaved his magic.

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Warne was called up to train with the Australian Cricket Academy in 1990

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Warne made his Test debut for Australia against India in Sydney in January 1992

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A classic image of Warnie, sporting his signature lip zinc and celebrating with a beer after a match in 1994

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Warne was a cricketer of world renown, but also fancied himself as an Australian rules player. He supported AFL club St Kilda

Warne made his Test debut in 1992, then announced himself as an instant Ashes legend when he dismissed England's Mike Gatting with his first delivery in the famous contest at Old Trafford in June 1993.

That hard-spun leg-break that left Gatting staring at his stumps in disbelief went down in cricket folklore as the 'ball of the century'.

A year later, he made more history against England by becoming the first person in 91 years to take a hat-trick in an Ashes series Test match.

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England's Mike Gatting was dismissed by Shane Warne in 1993 with a delivery that became known as the 'ball of the century'

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Warne celebrates the second wicket of a hat-trick during Australia's Test match against England in December 1994

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Warne celebrates with the Ashes urn alongside team-mates Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting. Warne won seven Ashes series between 1993 and 2007 and took a total of 195 wickets in the contest

Warne was as well known for his flippers - a signature trick delivery early in his career - as he was for his off-field controversies.

In 1998 he and Australia team-mate Mark Waugh admitted to receiving money for pitch and weather information from a bookmaker during their tour of Sri Lanka four years earlier.

Warne was suspended from cricket for 12 months in 2003 after failing a drugs test for a diuretic. It cost him a place in Australia's World Cup team that year.

His career was also littered by a number of scandals in his private life.

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Mark Waugh, Malcolm Speed - the then chief executive of the Australian Cricket Board - and Shane Warne at a news conference in 1998, where the players admitted to accepting money from an Indian bookmaker before a one-day match four years earlier

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Warne during a news conference in February 2003 after he returned to Australia from the Cricket World Cup after testing positive for a banned substance

Warne will forever be known for the gargantuan amount of wickets he claimed during his storied career.

He took 708 Test wickets and 293 one-day international scalps.

Warne not only did it on the international stage, but also for his home state of Victoria, in English county cricket for Hampshire, Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals and Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash competition.

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Warne claimed 293 dismissals in 194 ODIs

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The image of Warne bowling, with stud earrings and tongue out, was iconic

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Warne played country cricket for Hampshire

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Warne also played cricket in England for the Accrington CC team. He is second from right in the front row in this team photo from 1991

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Shane Warne was part of Australia's Cricket World Cup-winning side in 1999

Warne once compared his life to a soap opera, such was the drama, intrigue and controversy that swirled around him.

He even appeared in episodes of Australia's longest-running drama Neighbours along the way.

After retirement he also appeared on reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

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Warne dated film star Elizabeth Hurley for a number of years

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Warne made headlines when a snake bit him on the face his stint on I'm Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!

Warne, who in 2000 was named one of the five Wisden cricketers of the century, retired from international cricket in 2007 following Australia's 5-0 Ashes clean sweep of England at home.

Warne also retired from first-class and List A cricket later that year, ending a seven-year spell with Hampshire, who he had captained since 2004.

He continued to play Twenty20 franchise cricket until retiring from all formats in 2013.

He remain involved in the game as a commentator and coached London Spirit in the inaugural Hundred competition last year.

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Warne celebrates his 700th Test wicket with team-mates in 2006

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Warne waves to the crowd for the final time as a Test player in Sydney in 2007

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A statue of Warne was unveiled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2011

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Warne was head coach of the London Spirit in the first year of the Hundred competition in 2021

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Warne worked as a cricket commentator

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Warne's death came on the same day as legendary former Australia wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, who passed away aged 74 following a heart attack

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