Shane Warne, the man who made it cool to be a leg-spinner

In this file photograph taken on March 28, 2006, Australian bowler Shane Warne (C) celebrates with teammates after bowling out South Africa's batsman Andre Nel on the final day of the second Test match between South Africa and Australia at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban.

There have been many great cricketers in the sport's long history but few have changed the game quite like Australia's Shane Warne did during his brilliant career.

Warne, whose death at the age of just 52 from a suspected heart attack in Thailand on Friday sent shockwaves through the game, single-handedly revived the art of leg-spin bowling, a skill that had all but disappeared from Test cricket following the end of Abdul Qadir's career with Pakistan.

"The game was never the same after Warnie emerged, and the game will never be the same after his passing," said current Australia captain Pat Cummins, leading the team in the ongoing first Test of their tour of Pakistan.

But Warne's return of one wicket for 150 runs on Test debut against India at Sydney in 1992, during an innings where opener Ravi Shastri made a double century and future batting great Sachin Tendulkar 148, was no-one's idea of a dream start.