Former Australian cricket legend Dean Jones, 59, died of a heart attack on Thursday in Mumbai. He was part of Star Sports commentary team and was in Mumbai as part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcast set up.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Dean Mervyn Jones AM. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest. 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,” Star India confirmed through a statement.
Jones is a popular figure in the Indian media and his show ‘Prof Deano’ was on NDTV followed by many. He has commentated on various leagues of the world and was known for his forthright views.
Jones made his debut for Australia in a Test match in the West Indies in 1984. Born in Melbourne, he played 52 Test matches scoring 3,631 runs at an average of 46.55. With a 216 as his best score, Jones scored 11 centuries and was an important member of Allan Border’s team. He also played 164 ODIs and scored 6,068 runs with the help of seven centuries and 46 fifties.
Jones was part of the Australian team that won the 1987 World Cup, playing a starring role in the campaign. Jones was Australia’s third highest run-getter in the tournament, scoring 314 runs in 8 matches.
“Dean Jones was one of the great ambassadors of the game associating himself with Cricket development across South Asia. He was passionate about discovering new talent and nurturing young Cricketers. He was a champion commentator whose presence and presentation of the game always brought joy to millions of fans. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Star and his millions of fans across the globe,” said Star India.
