Brett Lee performed CPR on Dean Jones after legend’s fatal heart attack

Brett Lee fronted TV just hours after trying to save the life of Dean Jones, describing the cricketing icon as an “absolute legend”.

Former Australian cricketer Brett Lee has fronted Indian television just hours after trying to save the life of cricket legend Dean Jones.

The sporting world was rocked when Jones suddenly died of a heart attack aged 59 in a Mumbai hotel while working in India in the commentary booth for the IPL.

Jones and Lee were both part of Star India’s English dugout commentator pool for 2020.

Jones reportedly suffered a heart attack in the lobby and Lee performed CPR on his friend and colleague. He was taken to hospital by ambulance but could not be saved.

Lee returned to television screens just hours after Jones’ death alongside ex-New Zealand cricket star Scott Styris, describing Jones as an “absolute legend”.

“I think the thing we want to say about Deano is he would have wanted us to be here tonight,” Lee said.

“It’s pretty much the ‘Select Deano’ we call it. It’s Deano’s dugout tonight.

“He is an absolute legend. Firstly to his family and friends we send our condolences. It’s a real tough day for everyone, not only for his close mates … and the whole cricketing world in general.

“What Deano would’ve wanted is for us to come out here in the dugout, get it done, have some fun for the game we all love.”

Brett Lee tried to save Jones’ life.

Styris described how Jones had exercised in the hotel that morning, which had been booked out by the broadcaster with crew keeping to a bubble format.

He said he had breakfast with him and watched him run down the hallway to keep fit.

“That was his way of keeping fit because of course we are in the bubble here in Mumbai. Who would have thought merely a couple of hours later he had this heart attack or some sort of cardiac problem. It’s incredibly sad.

“He thought this to be the Deano show really. He’s on to me every day with new ideas on how we can make it better. So I think it’s the right thing to do to be here, it’s gonna be hard but we hope to make him feel proud tonight.”

Earlier, Lee had shared on Twitter it was a “lot of fun” in the commentary dug out where he was working with Jones.

STAR INDIA RELEASES STATEMENT

Star India was quick to release a statement to reveal Jones’ death on Thursday night AEST.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Dean Mervyn Jones AM,” Star India confirmed.

“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.

“Dean 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.”

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Dean Jones in 1992. Picture: Chris Cole/Allsport

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DEAN JONES

Jones was born in the Victorian town of Coburg and burst onto the world stage in the 1980s when he became a star in Australian colours.

His one-day international debut came on January 30, 1984 against Pakistan. He was recognised as one of the best one-day batsmen in the world throughout his 10 years in the team which saw him amass 6068 runs at an average of 44.61.

His aggressive stroke play and energetic running between wickets shaped the way one-day cricket was played in the future.

Less than two months after earning his spot in the Australian one-day side, Jones made his debut in the Test team against the West Indies.

Playing in a total of 52 Tests, Jones compiled 3631 runs at an average of 46.55 with a top score of 216 in a career that spanned a little over eight years in the whites.

Jones’ most memorable innings at the crease came in Chennai, India in 1986 when he fought through vomiting and dehydration to post a stunning 210 and tie the Test. His score of 210 remains the highest score by an Aussie in India.

He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his services to cricket and charity and was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2019. Jones officially retired from all forms of the game in 1997-98 and stepped into the world of coaching and commentary.

He became the head coach of Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United from 2015 to 2019, during which time he was also the interim head coach of the Afghanistan national team in 2017.