Former Australian cricketer and commentator Dean Jones no more

Former Australian cricketer and commentator Dean Jones on Thursday died of a massive cardiac arrest. He was 59.

Jones was in Mumbai as part of the Star Sports IPL commentary team and reportedly in a bio-secure bubble in a hotel in the city. He was roped in for commentary on the 2020 Indian Premier League which is currently under way in the UAE.

Star India issued a statement confirming the news.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Dean Mervyn Jones AM,” the statement read.

“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.

“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.”

Jones was well-known for his cricket analyses and commentary, and has commentated on various tournaments and leagues around the world. He is also quite popular in India due to his Prof Deano show on NDTV.

As a cricketer, Jones played 52 Test matches for Australia, scoring 3,631 runs, including 11 centuries, at an average of 46.55, and was a key figure in Allan Border’s team.

He has also played 164 ODIs and scored 6,068 runs, which includes seven centuries and 46 fifties.

Several current and ex-cricketers took to social media to pay tribute to the former Australian legend.