In Melbourne, Shane Warne will be laid to rest in a public ceremony
As the country grieved the death of one of its greatest athletes, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday that Shane Warne will be given a state funeral, and the cricket board opted to rename a stand at the MCG in his honor. Warne, one of the game’s all-time greats, died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand on Friday at the age of 52.
The state burial would be organized by the federal and Victorian governments, Cricket Australia, and the family of “one of our greatest cricketers of all time,” Morrison said, adding that Australians were “bewildered” by Warne’s “sad and untimely” death. This will be done in consultation with the Warne family,” he stated, vowing to “ensure we honour Shane’s passing and memory.”
After consultation with Victoria premier Daniel Andrews, MCC Trust chairman Steve Bracks, and MCC CEO Stuart Fox, Victoria’s minister for tourism and sport, Martin Pakula, announced the renaming of the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday morning.
“We will be renaming the Great Southern Stand the SK Warne stand and we’ll be doing that as soon as we possibly can,” Pakula stated.
“I can think of no finer tribute to the greatest cricketer this state has produced than to rename the stand the SK Warne stand and no matter whatever happens to that stand in the future, it will remain the SK Warne stand in perpetuity because his legend will live in perpetuity.”
At the MCG, Warne had taken his 700th Test wicket, and a monument of the legend stands outside the ground. People gathered around Warne’s monument to pay respect to his colorful lifestyle and cricketing talent, offering flowers, cricket balls, drinks, pies, and smokes.
Cricket Victoria is also considering renaming a stand at the Junction Oval in Warne’s honor.
Mr Erskine, who is also a friend of Warne’s, stated that the cricket icon was sweating and had “a little of chest pain” last week.
The body of Warne was transported from the Thai island of Koh Samui to the Thai mainland today.
After an autopsy, he will be returned to Australia.
Andrew Neophitou, an executive producer on Warne’s newly released documentary, discovered Warne at his Thailand home before a planned meeting with friends at 5 p.m.
‘Like a bad dream’
‘Like a nightmare,’ says the narrator.
Mr Erskine had the difficult responsibility of informing Warne’s family of the dreadful news “Warne’s three children Jackson, Summer and Brooke “are in complete shock”
“Jackson just said ‘We expect him to walk in the door. This is like a bad dream’, “He told Today about it.
His management also communicated with Warne’s father Keith and ex-wife Simone Callahan.
He added, “They can’t believe what’s happened.
“I think that’s what happens when you have a sudden death and you’re not expecting it.
“One minute the kids are talking to him every day and the next minute they can’t talk to him.
“They start talking about ‘he’s not going to be there for my 21st, he’s not going to take me down the aisle’.
“Those things go through your head. They are having a much harder time than anybody really.”
