Dean Jones farewelled at Melbourne Cricket Ground

By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The historic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was the venue where Dean Jones was privately farewelled by his family with a lap of honour on October 2. 

The public address system of the MCG played tunes by musicians Elton John and INXS, who happened to be friends of the former Australian batsman turned commentator. 

The memorial service was limited to just 10 attendees, which included wife Jane and daughters Isabella and Phoebe, because of Victoria's ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown. A public memorial service for Jones has been planned at a later stage when more mourners will be permitted to attend. 

"We have been deeply moved by the outpouring of love for Dean over the last week and can't thank everyone enough for their support and for sharing their memories with us," Jane Jones remarked on the occasion, adding that the family had been extremely moved by the way her husband's life and cricket had been remembered and revered by so many. 

"It has been an awful time to navigate as a family, but I could not have thought of a more fitting place to say goodbye to my husband than under the lights of his beloved MCG. What better way to honour him than with the music of his friends Elton John and INXS echoing throughout the empty stadium. We'd like to extend a huge thank you to the Melbourne Cricket Club and the MCG for their willingness to create our personal tribute to Dean and for Cricket Australia's support,” she said. 

"We would also like to extend a big thank you to the Department of Foreign Affairs for ensuring Dean was returned home to us as quickly as possible. We will forever miss Dean's energy, his zest for life, passion for cricket and his love for us as a family," she acknowledged.

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Deano-the dasher leaves cricket world gloomy

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The entire cricket world has become gloomy all of a sudden because of the shocking death of Dean Jones, the former Australian top-order batsman, while performing duties as commentator in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. 

Jones was as jolly and outgoing as ever when describing action only the previous night, with no hints of any discomfort or illness, but he collapsed in the lobby of the five-star hotel where he was staying on the morning of September 24. 

Brett Lee, also a former Australian star, was reported to be very close to him as he watched in utter disbelief his fellow commentator suffer a cardiac arrest. He showed the presence of mind and tried his level best to revive Jones but his efforts could not yield the desired results. 

The gloom spread all over the world because, Jones, popularly known as Deano, was a lovable character, adored from North to South and East to West. There are not many cricketers around who have enjoyed this kind of admiration globally. 

As far as my knowledge is concerned, he was the first top-order batsman of Australia to have adopted aggressive approach in batting from the moment he arrived at the crease. 

Australia has been the home to many world-class batsmen, before and after him, but in my estimation Deano was a trend-setter of sorts. 

He showed attacking instincts and loved to dominate the bowlers with unorthodox shots, which were not very common those days. 

The likes of Adam Gilchrist and Mathew Hayden emerged in the following years to make Australia the number one team as they ruled the world for a long time. The foundation for attacking batsmanship in Australia was laid by none other than Deano, I think. 

If my memory serves me right, it was Deano who introduced colorful glasses in the cricket field. The cricketers from all over the world then emulated him. He was a character in the truest sense of the word.  

Upon hanging his boots, when he had still seemed good for many more years, he made his presence felt in the team of commentators with his distinct voice and witty remarks. 

Then we also saw him excel in the role of a coach. He helped Islamabad United win the title of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He was the head coach of Karachi Kings in the PSL 2020. 

It’s hard to believe that such a proactive and energetic man has left this mortal world abruptly. The cricket world may never be the same without him and he will be missed.

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ICC saddened at passing of Dean Jones

By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed sadness at the passing of former Australian Test batsman Dean Jones, at the age of 59, in Mumbai on September 24. 

“We are extremely sad to hear of Dean’s sudden death and I would like to extend our deep condolences to his family and friends on behalf of the ICC,” Manu Sawhney, Chief Executive, ICC, said in a statement. 

“Dean was a prolific batter playing in 52 Tests and 164 ODIs and was part of the 1987 Australia team who won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. He had a significant impact on the game of cricket as a player, as an advocate for the development of the sport as a coach and latterly in his role as a broadcaster. He will be sorely missed by all those in the cricket family,” the ICC chief added. 

An attacking batter, the Victorian featured in 52 Tests, making 3631 runs at an average of 46.55. In 164 ODIs, he made 6068 runs, at 44.61, with seven hundreds and 46 fifties. He was a part of Australia's winning team in the 1987 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, hosted jointly by Pakistan and India, and remains number five on the all-time MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Batting Rankings in the format. 

One of his most memorable Test innings came in 1986, when in the heat and humidity of Chennai, he battled exhaustion and illness to make a heroic 210 in what would be only the second tied Test ever. He had retired from international cricket in 1994 and went on to become a coach and more recently a broadcaster commentating on cricket around the world.

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‘Deano’ Jones suffers fatal cardiac arrest

By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Former Australian batting great Dean Jones, having become one of the characters of the game in his later years because of his coaching and commentating stints, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in the Indian city of Mumbai on September 24. He was 59. 

Jones, affectionately known as Deano to his friends and colleagues, was in Mumbai as a part of the commentary team for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, was reported to have suffered a massive heart attack around noon IST.

"It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Dean Mervyn Jones AM. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest. We express our deep condolences to his family and stand ready to support them in this difficult time," Star India confirmed his death through a statement. 

He was recognized as one of the most explosive batsmen of his generation as his stroke-play was more suited to the shorter format of the game, making him one of the most valuable players in One-day Internationals. Jones also played 52 Tests besides 164 ODIs for Australia and his international career was cut short abruptly in mysterious circumstances, leading to speculations of various kinds. 

His second innings in cricket arena was equally, if not more, successful as he excelled in the role of a commentator as well as a coach. He seemed to have become a kind of folk hero in South Asia with his continuous engagement in cricket activities in this part of the world. He was head coach of Karachi Kings in the last edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

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