Vale Dean Jones: Legend passes away aged 59

Former Australia batsman Dean Jones has died. He was 59.

Jones passed away in India of a heart attack while working for television on the Indian Premier League.

"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."

Jones is regarded as one of Australia's finest one-day batsmen, lightning between the wickets and will forever be remembered for his epic 210 in the famous Tied Test against India in 1986 in what was just his third Test.

"What a great player and a great bloke," said Australia men's coach Justin Langer. "We are shocked and very sad to hear of his passing.

"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.

"His double century in Madras was one of the greatest and most courageous innings of all time.

"We can only hope to make Australians as proud of our team as they were of Deano, he will be missed by the game and millions of people around the world. Our love to Jane and the girls."

The right-hander was a proud Victorian, playing 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for his country and he went on to coach various T20 teams around the world.

He made his Test debut against the West Indies in Port of Spain as a 22-year-old in 1984, making 48 and 5 in the drawn contest.

A year after his masterclass in the sweltering heat of Madras in the Tied Test, Jones played an integral role in Australia's surprise 1987 World Cup triumph in India.

"Winning the World Cup was probably the greatest cricketing day of my life," Jones said recently on Shane Watson's podcast Lessons Learnt with the Greats.

Jones then played a starring role in Australia's drought-breaking Ashes win in 1989, scoring two centuries and averaging 71.

But just three years later, despite averaging 46.55, he was dropped and never played another Test.

He played two more years in Australia's one-day team, finishing his ODI career with seven hundreds and an average of 44.61.

He continued to play for Victoria and Derbyshire, retiring from first-class cricket in 1998.

Jones's left-of-field thinking made him a popular television and radio pundit and took up coaching and administration roles around the world.

In 2016, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for "service to cricket as a player, coach and commentator, and to the community through fundraising activities for organisations assisting people with cancer".

"We play a game that when you make a mistake everyone's got an opinion on you and after a while it wears on you but you get the hide of an armadillo after a while and you don't get a glass jaw," Jones said.

"If something goes wrong, don't panic, find a way.

"You need to get whacked on the nose a few times, and I did. Like a diamond, it needs pressure. 

"You just can't go through life wanting an easy way."