Former Australian cricketer and a star commentator Dean Jones passed away on Thursday in Mumbai after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 59.

The 59 year old was part of the Star Sports commentary team and was in a bio-secure bubble in a Mumbai hotel.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Mr. Dean Mervyn Jones AM. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest,” Star Sports said in a statement.

“We express our deep condolences to his family and stand ready to support them in this difficult time. We are in touch with the Australian High Commission to make the necessary arrangements,” the statement said. 

“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. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” the broadcasters said.

Jones has been an active cricket analyst and was signed up to do commentary for the Indian Premier League 2020 that is currently underway in UAE.

Jones popularly known as Deano played 52 Test matches, in which he scored 3631 runs. Jones scored a total of 11 centuries and was an important member of Allan Border’s team.

The right-hander batsman was one of the most successful batsmen in ODI cricket in his era. With 6,068 runs in 164 ODIs at an average of 44.61, Deano had a remarkably good strike rate of 72.56. Interestingly, 41 ODI matches of his career were played against the mighty Windies team.

Remembering his contribution to the Australian team’s success, Aussies team coach Justin Langer has said, “Deano was a true legend of Australian sport and world cricket, one of the great players and personalities in a golden time for the game. His role in the team’s World Cup win in 1987 and the 1989 Ashes under AB (Allan Border) were a huge turning point for Australian cricket.”