Dean Jones dies after heart attack

[K]

"Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman, has died on Thursday after a heart attack in Mumbai. He was 59. Jones, who was is in India as a commentator for the IPL, is understood to have suffered a massive heart attack around noon IST."

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/29958649/former-australia-batsman-dean-jones-dies-aged-59

[Presti35]

Shocking news.

A great personality.

[K]

Pakistan Cricket
@TheRealPCB

"PCB is devastated with the news of Dean Jones’ passing. On behalf of Pakistan cricket, the PCB offers its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the entire cricket community."

https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1309087092014755844


Sachin Tendulkar
@sachin_rt
"Absolutely heartbreaking news about Dean Jones passing away.
A wonderful soul taken away too soon. Had the opportunity to play against him during my first tour of Australia.
May his soul rest in peace and my condolences to his loved ones."

https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1309086377351544834

[K]

Social media claim Brett Lee was with him and performed CPR to no avail.
That really gets to me.

What a tragedy. So young.

[K]

ICC obituary:

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1840407

"His most memorable Test innings came in 1986, when in the heat and humidity of Chennai, he battled exhaustion and illness to make a heroic 210 in what would be only the second tied Test ever."


cricket.com.au:

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/dean-jones-passes-away-aged-59-cricketer-coach-commentator-australia-india/2020-09-24

'“Dean Jones was a hero to a generation of cricketers and will forever be remembered as a legend of this great game,” Cricket Australia Chairman Earl Eddings said.

"Anyone who watched cricket in the 1980s and 1990s will fondly recall his cavalier approach at the crease and the incredible energy and passion he brought to every game he played.

“Although many remember him for his brilliance in the 50-over game, arguably Jones’ finest moment in the national team came in scorching conditions in Chennai in 1986, where his selfless and courageous innings of 210 helped Australia to a famous tie against India.

“Jones remained an immensely popular figure in Australian and Victorian cricket throughout his life and was a much-loved columnist and commentator in every corner of the cricketing world.

“This is a truly sad day. Deano’s loss will be felt not just at home in Australia, but across the globe. Our thoughts and best wishes are with his wife Jane and daughters Isabella and Phoebe.”'

[K]

Baum:

"He never left the game. He was to the last an irrepressible figure on the cricket circuit in his many roles. His commentary and critiques were like his batting, bursting with lateral ideas. Whether you agreed or disagreed, you could never fault his enthusiasm. No cricket season in Australia had properly begun until Jones' first column appeared in The Age.
...

His passing will leave the cricket world a lesser and greyer place."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/deano-s-passing-will-leave-the-cricket-world-a-greyer-place-20200924-p55z1f.html

[think positive]

so sad, im not up on cricket much, but i hear his name and think of white zinc, thats far too young. RIP

[pietillidie]

Deano was my hero as a kid. RIP.

[K]

Geoff Lawson:

"The man had a huge heart in the sense of his generosity of spirit and thought, always willing to toss in advice to cricketers of any age or ability, whenever and wherever.

He adored the game and cared for its people. Cricket was not a frivolous recreational pursuit but a precious commodity of community and individual, which he was constantly trying to improve.
...

Come match time and the pitch was damp enough to grow cauliflowers and very green, which matched Steve Barry Smith's complexion. Smith was out of the side and five minutes before the toss the Jones boy was in: no baggy green ceremony; no mental preparation; no smiling press photo just a "get on with it son" from Allan Border. Deano was unfazed, took the call-up with zeal and offered to open the batting if required. Nothing much changed over the course of a wonderful career.
...

His loss is sudden and, for that, all the more saddening. When he played he gave the impression of being 10 foot tall and bulletproof. Alas, that can only be bravado. Death spares no man or woman but, at 59, surely we could have been granted a few more years of enthusiasm, unorthodoxy and plain speaking from the Legend.

Vale mate. You will be missed."

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/as-deano-s-roommate-for-his-test-debut-i-saw-first-hand-what-made-him-so-special-20200926-p55zh4.html

[K]

J. Pierik:

"Jones was never afraid to speak his mind - and that was what made him so likeable, as a reporter and as a cricket enthusiast.

He brought a coolness to cricket in the late 1980s and early '90s, for he had the swagger, the zinc cream, the lifted collar and he was the first to don sunglasses out in the field.

His fitness and running between the wickets revolutionised the sport, although teammates - at all levels - weren't always happy when he treated singles almost like an Olympic 100m final and they were run out. His penchant for looking for a single off the last ball of the over was as endearing as it was frustrating for some.
...

The highlights and headlines were endless when Jones was in his pomp - from centuries to failures to Ambrose to his dramatic retirement in South Africa in 1994 and the comeback campaign that ensued. He fell out with teammates and officials in part because of his forthright views.

Tired of being overlooked for roles in Australian cricket over the past decade, he made himself one of the best Twenty20 coaches abroad. Jones, like us all, was a flawed character but he had a presence and cut through - something cricket needs more of today."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/never-short-of-a-tale-memories-of-dean-jones-will-live-on-20200926-p55zgv.html

[Jezza]

Sad news.

59 is too young.

[K]

Deano and the Vics: the inside story of a tumultuous relationship

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/dean-jones-and-victoria-a-bumpy-ride-20201029-p569th.html

"The late, great Dean Jones had a passionate but tempestuous relationship with his home state, and it will remain forever business that cannot be finished. It is no-one’s fault, but it is for many a regret.
...

Jones’ relationships in cricket all tended to the mercurial. Reforming national coach Bob Simpson was yet another with whom Jones fell in and fell out. “Frustrating, exciting, reliable, unreliable, unpredictable, selfish, unselfish, a mug lair, a team player," Simpson wrote in his 1996 autobiography The Reasons Why. “How many other ways are there of describing one man and which is the real Dean Jones? I sometimes wonder if we will ever know, and perhaps that is the real charm of the bloke.""

[K]

Video (from ODIs):

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/dean-jones-career-highlights-20201222-p56pls.html

Ritchie Benaud: "Just reach out and catch it, Geoffrey."

[K]

There will be some sort of tribute to Dean Jones during the tea break of the Boxing Day Test.

[Jezza]

^ A very touching moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHTr8K72GtI

Sadly, his wife confirmed he died of a stroke rather than a heart attack as first reported.