ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Pakistan's cricket fraternity is mourning the loss of former all-rounder Wasim Raja, who died at the age of 54 while playing in a seniors match in England on Wednesday.

“This news has left me deeply shocked. ... The game has lost a great servant, a true entertainer and someone who played with a flair that only a player with real talent can display,” Percy Soon, the International Cricket Council president, said in a statement on Thursday.

Wasim, who played 57 Tests and 54 One-day Internationals for Pakistan, reportedly suffered a heart attack during a match at High Wycombe in England.

“The proof of that talent is there for all to see in the fact that his finest series was against the great West Indies side of the late 1970s, and anyone who made runs against that line-up at that time could play,” Sonn said.

Wasim coached the Pakistan team in 1997 before officiating in Tests and one-dayers as a match referee on the ICC's elite panel.

Wasim’s role as match referee saw him officiate in 15 Tests and 34 ODIs between 2002 and 2004, including four matches in 2002 ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and eight matches in following year's ICC Cricket World Cup in southern Africa.

“We should all be grateful for the work Wasim did for the betterment of the game we all love,” Sonn said.

“The news was shocking for me and he died as a cricketer while playing a match which showed his love for cricket,” former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad said.

“He was a natural cricketer, a very fine all-rounder and very few cricketers in the world have played so well against the West Indies like Wasim.”Chief selector Wasim Bari remembered his namesake as the “most gifted cricketer” of the 70s.

“It's sad to lose such a good man at such a young age,” Bari said.

“I think he was the most gifted cricketer ... especially after he scored loads of runs against the West Indies,” he said. “I used to be his roommate on a number of tours abroad. He was very lively and a thorough gentleman.”

Former Test fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz compared Wasim with West Indian all-rounder Gary Sobers.“Talent-wise I think Wasim was better than Sobers,” Sarfraz said. “He had a wide range of cricketing shots. He was a very brave cricketer, who even scored against the mighty West Indies.”

Mohsin Khan, the former Test opening batsman, remembered Wasim's aggressive style of batting.

“We both played lot of international cricket together and he was one of the most talented cricketers Pakistan has ever produced,” Mohsin said. “He had such a wonderful style of batting that he had fans all over the world. It was sad to lose him so early.”—Agencies