A hero, a legend and trailblazer

TRIBUTES TO HARD-HITTING AUSSIE BATSMAN WHO DIED IN FRONT OF HIS DEVASTATED PAL BRETT LEE

CRICKET was left in shock yesterday after the death of Dean Jones, the attacking, trailblazing Australian batting star, following a cardiac arrest.

Jones, who was just 59, was in Mumba i , commentating on the Indi a n Premier er League taking place in the UAE, and collapsed in the lobby of his hotel in front of fellow former Aussie cricketer Brett Lee.

Lee (top) is understood to have performed CPR on Jones (inset) to try and save his friend and colleague.

Former Austral ian skipper Allan Border said: “I can’t believe this news, but I’d like to pay tribute to Brett Lee for all he did.

“Deano was unbelievable at Test level, but his aggression at the one-day level will be remembered forever. He loved his family, cricket, golf and wine.

“I loved batting with him and he backed me and for that I will always love him.” Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings said: “Dean Jones was a hero to a g e n e ration of cricketers and will be forever remembered as a legend of this great game.

“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.” Jones (right) leaves wife Jane and daughters Augusta and Phoebe.

The right- handed batsman scored 11 hundreds in his 52 Tests, but it was as a one- day cricketer that he pushed the boundaries of what was possible, helping

Bo rde r claim the

Wo r ld

Cup in

1987.