Heartbroken Lara 'speechless' after death of friend Shane Warne

West Indies legend Brian Lara has been left "speechless" after the death of his former on-field rival and friend Shane Warne.

The iconic Australian leg-spinner died on Friday at his villa in Thailand from a suspected heart attack, He was 52.

Lara, known for his prowess against spin bowling, had a number of classic matches against Warne at the Test-match level.

He tweeted on Friday, "And speechless at the moment. I literally don’t know how to sum up this situation. My friend is gone!! We have lost one of the Greatest Sportsmen of all time!! My condolences goes out to his family. RIP Warnie!! You will be missed."

A number of past and present cricketers have paid tribute to the Australian, arguably the greatest spin bowler of all time.

Former West Indies opening batsman Daren Ganga tweeted, "Cannot believe it, Cricket Legend Shane Warne departs!!! Truly shocked and saddened, only 52 years of age. The ultimate spin wizard and entertainer #RIPMate."

Ex-West Indies captain Chris Gayle posted, "RIP LEGEND."

Warne finished his Test career with 708 Test wickets and 293 ODI wickets. He was an integral part of the dominant Australian team from the mid-1990s into the 2000s.