As the world continues to mourn the loss of Shane Warne, a close friend of the cricket legend has revealed the final act of generosity the 52-year-old displayed, as well as the last meal he ate before tragically dying.
Shane passed away in the early hours of March 4 from a heart attack while on holiday with his mates in Koh Samui.
One of his friends had gone to wake the father-of-three up for food at about 5pm local time, but he wasn’t responsive.
His four mates then frantically performed CPR on him for 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived, but he was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Shane’s longtime friend Tom Hall spoke candidly about the cricketer’s final moments.
(Image: Instagram)Tom Hall, Shane’s longtime friend who was part of the group staying at the Samujan resort, penned an article on The Sporting News about the king spin’s final moments.
While watching the Australia v Pakistan Test match, Shane excitedly told Tom he had a gift for him.
“You’re never quite sure what that means with Shane; it could be a bottle of his 708 gin, his fragrance, some book he thought I would enjoy or a random T-shirt,” Tom wrote.
Shane was a gentleman right ’til the end, presenting his mates with prized cricket jumpers.
(Image: Instagram)Tom said the cricket icon, who was known for his generosity and kind nature, came back to the room with an “armful of clothes” for him.
Shane presented his friend with a 2005 Ashes Test jumper, a 2008 Indian Premier League jersey and an Australian ODI shirt and cap to place in his offices.
“Amazing gifts I knew the teams would love and cherish,” Tom penned.
Tom and Shane, who met about 15 years ago at a charity poker tournament, then ate dinner, which would turn out to be the cricketer’s final meal.
WATCH: Shane Warne opens up on his time with Elizabeth Hurley. Story to continue after video.
“I have dined with Shane in many fine establishments, but rather than sample some of the local Thai fare, we tuck into a plate of Vegemite on toast.
“Shane chomping away: ‘Geez, you can’t beat Vegemite with some butter, always great wherever you are in the world’,” Tom revealed.
“An Australian through and through — this was to turn out to be his last meal. Ever the caring father, as I was leaving, he headed up to his bedroom to call his kids.”
Tom’s heartbreaking account of Shane’s final hours comes after the sportsman’s long-time manager James Erksine said he had just finished a “ridiculous” diet, where he consumed mostly fluids for 14 days.
Tom said Shane’s final meal was vegemite on toast.
(Image: Instagram)“He did go on these ridiculous sorts of diets and he just finished one, where he basically only ate fluids for 14 days and he’d done this three or four times,” James told Weekend Today.
“It was a bit … all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagne stuffed in the middle or he would be having black and green juices.
“I don’t know, he obviously smoked most of his life. I don’t know, I think it was just a massive heart attack. That’s what I think’s happened.”
For more on Shane Warne and his legacy, check out the following stories
Cricket legend Shane Warne dies aged 52 in Thailand of a suspected heart attack
Here is everything we know about Shane Warne’s cause of death so far
Cricketing legend Shane Warne will receive a state funeral, and this is what we know so far
He was the ultimate cricket legend, but to his three kids Shane Warne was just Dad
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