On a grey dreary Saturday in Melbourne, not unlike the one on which Warne took his 700th Test wicket in front of adoring fans in the Southern Stand at the MCG on Boxing Day 2006.
Martin Pakula, Victoria’s minister for tourism and sport, said that he had met with Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews, MCC Trust chairman Steve Bracks, and MCC CEO Stuart Fox, and they had decided to honour Warne by renaming the Southern Stand after him.
Following the tragic death of Australian cricketing star Shane Warne, flowers, meat pies, and beer cans have been placed at his monument at the MCG. Local citizens and cricket fans gave tribute to the showman of Australian cricket.
The 52-year-old died of a suspected heart attack in Koh Samui, Thailand, in the early hours of Saturday.
James Erskine, Warne’s manager, said on Fox Cricket that one of Warne’s pals performed CPR on him after discovering the 52-year-old lifeless in his bed in a villa.
He was instantly transferred to the Thai International Hospital but doctors couldn’t revive him to life. Warne had an extraordinary career for Australia.
Born in Melbourne’s Upper Ferntree Gully district, Shane Warne started his teenage career with University of Melbourne Cricket Club in 1983-84. Six years later, he was selected to train at the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide.
As Australia awakened on Saturday to the news, admirers put flowers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a monument honouring Warne stands.
A can of beer, a package of cigarettes, and meat pie was among the other items, a tribute to Warne’s notoriously hard-charging lifestyle.
Over a 15-year career, he played 145 Tests and took 708 wickets. He was also a useful lower-order batsman, with a highest Test score of 99.
Warne also had a great career with his Australian stateside Victoria and English county club Hampshire, in addition to his international triumphs.
Following his international retirement, Warne played for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and his local Melbourne Stars in the KFC BBL.
After his retirement in 2008, he later became a well-known television analyst and pundit, known for his candid comments, and was active in teaching, working one-on-one with modern leg spinners.
Warne’s influence stretched far beyond cricket, with tributes from movie stars, rock figures, and players from all sports.