Dean Jones was regarded among the best One Day International (ODI) batsmen in the world during the late 1980s and 1990s. The former batsman was in India as part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) commentating team when he had a sudden heart attack and died.
The 59-year-old suffered a serious heart attack in his hotel in Mumbai. It's believed colleague Brett Lee performed CPR on Jones but he could not be revived.
“We express our deep condolences to his family and stand ready to support them in this difficult time. We are in touch with the Australian High Commission to make the necessary arrangements,” said Star India through a statement.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute calling him “an absolute cricketing legend.”
Former Indian cricketer Kiran More says he'd had breakfast with Dean Jones in the morning and had discussed the day ahead and the two teams playing that day.
"The last time I saw him was in the lobby, after doing a workout and then after finishing his training, he went to his room. I also went down to my room, and then I think he collapsed in the room," he told SBS Gujarati from the commentary box.
It's very shocking and sad day for us as a cricket family.
"So that was the sad thing, we spent about 25 days together. When the commentary started, we used to spend every day together."
"It's a very sad day for us, like a family at Star Sports," he said.
Dean Jones with then Prime Minister John Howard in 2007. Source: RES PUBLICA
Defining moment
One of his most defining moments was in 1986, where playing only his third Test against India in Chennai, he went on to score 210 despite suffering from dehydration in unbearable hot and humid conditions and at times, vomiting on the pitch.
The innings remains the highest score by an Australian cricketer in India.
Durham, Victoria and Australia batsman Dean Jones pictured looking out of the Pavillion window at the Racecourse ground circa 1991 in Durham, UK. Source: Getty
Played crucial knocks in 1987 World Cup
Dean Jones was part of the 1987 Australian cricket team who won the ICC Men's World Cup played in India and Pakistan. He played some crucial knocks for the victorious Australian team throughout the tournament and scored 314 runs with three half-centuries.
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to Dean Jones
Cricket writer Gideon Haigh said Dean Jones never stopped loving the game.
"What you have to go back to is how Australian cricketers regarded India before Jones. It used to be a real hardship posting to get sent on a tour to India, but Jones was one of the players who really embraced it and went back and back and back," he said.
Dean in numbers
Tests
- Match: 52
- Innings: 89
- Runs: 3631
- Highest: 216
- Average: 46.55
- 100/50: 11/14
ODIs
- Match: 164
- Innings: 161
- Runs: 6068
- Highest: 145
- Average: 44.61
- 100/50: 7/46
