BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Cricketer Shane Warne's legacy lives on more than three years after the death of the great spin bowler from a heart attack at the age of 52.
Warne died in March 2022 after suffering cardiac arrest while on holiday on the Thai island of Koh Samui.
The cause of his sudden death led his business team and family to unite to honor his life and create Shane Warne Legacy. The charity set up free heart health checkup machines at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the past two Boxing Day tests.
The results of the stadium checks along with 311 community pharmacy stations across Australia were analyzed as part of a Monash University-led study. A total of 76,085 people were screened across seven weeks from mid-December 2023 to the end of January 2024, including 7,740 at the MCG.
The research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Friday showed almost seven out of 10 (68.9%) had at least one uncontrolled risk factor for heart disease. Factors were elevated blood pressure readings (37.2%), elevated body mass index (60.5%) and being a smoker (12.1%).
Cricket spectators who did the free checks, mostly men aged 35 to 64, had higher rates of elevated blood pressure and body mass index than those screened at pharmacies.
Warne revived and elevated the art of leg-spin bowling when he emerged on the international scene in the 1990s and was a central character in one of Australia’s most successful eras in the sport. He also was one of cricket’s larger-than-life showmen.
Warne held the record for the most test wickets with 708 when he retired in 2007 after his 145th match. Only Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has passed him, with 800.
“Meeting people where they are, whether that’s at their local pharmacy or the MCG, can make all the difference to health outcomes,” said Dr. Sean Tan, a cardiologist and researcher at the Victorian Heart Institute.
Warne’s long-time personal assistant Helen Nolan said the findings reinforced Shane Warne Legacy’s mission to turn his death into a catalyst for change. The charity’s chief executive described the results as “bittersweet.”
“We’re proud to have helped thousands take their heart health seriously but we know there’s still work to do,” Nolan said. “Shane would have wanted this to make a massive difference.”
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
FILE - Australia's bowler Shane Warne, left, reacts on the fifth and final day of the second Test cricket match against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban, South Africa, Tuesday, March 28, 2006. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
FILE - Australia's Shane Warne clenches his fist as he holds the Cricket World Cup Trophy on the team balcony at Lords after Australia defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets in the final of the Cricket World Cup, in London Sunday, June 20, 1999. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United managers come and go with disturbing regularity and Pep Guardiola has faced a few since taking charge at Manchester City 10 years ago.
On Saturday in fact, Michael Carrick becomes the sixth.
That number sums up the varying fortunes of the Manchester rivals over the past decade, with City dominating the Premier League and conquering Europe while United has lurched from one crisis to another.
Asked on Friday what the secret was to his longevity, Guardiola's answer was brief.
“Results,” he said. "If you don’t win, you’re sacked. So we won a lot. That’s why I’m still sitting here. There’s no other secret."
Guardiola has won 15 major trophies at City, including six Premier Leagues and the Champions League. This season City is still in contention for four trophies.
By contrast United crashed out of both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage, is seventh in the Premier League and didn't qualify for any European competition.
Ruben Amorim last week became the sixth permanent United manager to be dismissed since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Former player Carrick was hired this week until the end of the season while United's hierarchy weigh up its long-term options.
One of those could include Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who announced on Friday he will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 51-year-old Austrian is reportedly being considered by United.
"I am looking for a new challenge,” Glasner said, adding he had not spoken to another club.
For now, Carrick has the hot seat and 17 games to make his case to stay in charge beyond this season.
“I’m eager to succeed," he said. "We’ve got a big job to do. It’s an important job and it always is here to win games and to play well and to to do it in a certain way.”
United's priority is to secure Champions League qualification from a top four position. Should Carrick achieve that, as well as provide the type of attacking soccer the club's fans crave, his case will be strengthened.
“We want to be top of the league ... but we've got to take some small steps towards that and European football would be a step forward and we've got to keep pushing.”
Victory against second-placed City at Old Trafford would be the perfect start for Carrick, who then has to prepare for a trip to league leader Arsenal.
United has had to get used to living in its neighbour's shadow since Ferguson departed.
The once dominant force in English soccer has not finished above City in the standings since taking the title in Ferguson's final season.
Since then City has won 18 major trophies and United five.
While United was runner-up twice to Guardiola's City, it finished 19 and 12 points adrift each time.
“It is what it is,” said Guardiola who has experienced far more intense rivalries in England with Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
“You know since day one the opinion I have of Man United. But what happened (there), I don’t know because I’m not there.”
Despite City's bulging trophy cabinet, its head-to-head statistics in one-off games are much closer.
Carrick's first Manchester derby will be Guardiola's 27th, more than any other City manager. He has won 14 of them, including penalty shootouts and victories against each United manager he has faced from a list including Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Amorim.
United has won nine.
The teams met in back-to-back FA Cup finals in 2023 and 24, winning one each.
City has enjoyed more dominant wins — scoring three or more goals on seven occasions — and in 2022 routed United 4-1 and 6-3.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola reacts after Erling Haaland missed a scoring opportunity during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
FILE - Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, and assistant Michael Carrick stand on the touchline during the English League Cup soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson, File)
