Shane Warne: Family offered state funeral while MCG honours legend following death | Cricket News

The family of Shane Warne have been offered a state funeral by Victoria premier Daniel Andrews in the wake of the cricketing icon’s sudden death.

Warne died at the age of 52 on Friday after a suspected heart attack while in Koh Samui, Thailand.

The Australian legend’s management released a statement explaining that medical staff had been unable to revive Warne after he was found unresponsive in his villa.

Tributes have since poured in for Warne, who revolutionised the sport for spinners while being one of the sharpest and most compelling minds in the game.

“Shane Warne didn’t just inspire a cricket generation – he defined it,” said Andrews, the premier of the Australian state of Victoria.

“To us, he was the greatest – but to his family, he was so much more. Our hearts are breaking for Shane’s family and friends – and they are in the thoughts of all Victorians.

“I have offered a state funeral to his family so Victorians can pay tribute to his legacy and contribution to our state, community and country.”

The leg-spinner collected 708 Test wickets in 145 matches, second-highest in history, and 1,001 international wickets in total including 293 in 194 one-day internationals before calling time on his Australia career in 2007.

He famously delivered the ‘Ball of the Century’ to dismiss Mike Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993.

Warne to be honoured at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Victoria’s minister for tourism and sport Martin Pakula also confirmed that the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to be renamed as the SK Warne stand in honour of the great.

“We will be renaming the Great Southern Stand the S.K. Warne stand and we’ll be doing that as soon as we possibly can,” said Pakula said.

“I can think of no finer tribute to the greatest cricketer this state has produced than to rename the stand the S.K. Warne stand and no matter whatever happens to that stand in the future whether it’s rebuilt, refurbished, renovated, it will remain the S.K. Warne stand in perpetuity because his legend will live in perpetuity.”

Cricket Australia chairman Dr Lachlan Henderson noted that renaming the stand would “seem a very appropriate acknowledgement” of Warne.

“He’s been an icon of the game, obviously with St Kilda Cricket Club, Victoria, our Australian team for so many years. He also played cricket all around the world. So it’s a very fitting tribute,” he added.

“Right here this morning, driving past a junior cricket ground in Victoria, I saw a young leg-spin bowler bowl a beautifully flighted ball that beat the bat and I’m sure someone was looking down on that young bowler as he embarks on his career.”

Hussain: Warne the “greatest ever”

Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain…

“For me, he was arguably the greatest cricketer to ever play the game.

“The game is about entertaining people and there was never a dull moment when Shane Warne had the ball in his hand. He was absolutely genius.

“Leg spin was a dying art before he burst onto the scene; we had never heard of a ‘flipper’, and then suddenly he used to set us up with it. He’d bowl us a ball that was short and you’d think ‘ah, Shane has lost it today’, and then the very next ball was the flipper and it was through us. He was an outstanding cricketer.

“When Australia really needed him in that 2005 Ashes series, when England were all over them and they were crumbling, there was one Aussie that stood up and said ‘not today’. He got wickets by the shed load, he got runs by the shed load too and he showed a lot of fight and a lot of character.

“Some people are brilliant at the game, some people are genius, some people have fight. Shane Warne had everything in abundance.

“He was also a very, very smart cricketer as we’ve seen in the commentary box since he retired from the game.”

Atherton: Warne had raw cricketing intelligence in spades

In giving his reaction to Friday’s shocking news, Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton said Warne – a long-time adversary on the pitch and colleague in the commentary booth – had raw cricketing intelligence in spades.

“Hearing the news, I was totally stunned. I don’t think I’ve ever been more shocked in my life,” Artherton told Sky Sports from Antigua.

“I don’t think many people read the game better than he did, and of course he had great character and a way of putting it across.

“But all the intelligence you saw as a player – I think he’s the most intelligent bowler I played against – came across in his commentary.

“And using the word intelligence, I’m not talking about A-Levels and that kind of thing, but raw cricketing intelligence which he had in spades. He was a fabulous bowler.”

Holding: Warne changed spin bowling

Michael Holding, another former colleague of Warne’s at Sky Sports, added that the Australian changed spin bowling forever: “Yes, Shane Warne was a great cricketer, a great commentator, knew the game and was very insightful, but he was also a very kind person who was willing to talk to anyone – from any country – about the game and assist them.

“This is such a loss, an extremely sad loss and my heart goes out to his family and close friends. I’m still in shock, believe me.

“Before Shane Warne came along, a lot of spin bowlers were around and came along and got some wickets, but nobody really looked up at them as great match-winners. This man on his own changed the outlook of people with regards to spin bowlers.”

Strauss: Extraordinary Warne was greatest showman

Sir Andrew Strauss, who famously fell to Warne during the 2005 Ashes in what became known as the ‘Edgbaston Ripper’, said: “He was literally the greatest showman. There will be other cricketers whose records that might be as good as his, but no-one played the game in the way that he did.

“It was the flamboyancy, the great aura that he had as a cricketer, his enthusiasm for the game, the incredible competitive spirit he had and then of course, the extraordinary skills that he had in those magical fingers of his.

“It was the greatest challenge that I ever had as a cricketer to face up against him and I’m sure there are countless other cricketers who would say the same thing.

“You were playing the grand master of the game and he made you know it as well.”

Cummins: Warne a once in a century cricketer

Current Australia Test captain Pat Cummins said: “Warnie was an all-time great, a once in a century type cricketer and his records will live on forever. We all grew up watching Warnie, idolising him. We had posters of him on the wall and had his earrings. We love so much about Warnie, his showmanship, charisma and tactics. He just willed himself and the team around him to win games for Australia and above all else his incredible skill as a leg-spinner.

“So many guys in this team and squad who still hold him as a hero, they’re all-time favourite player and the loss that we’re all trying to wrap our heads around is huge. It’s been a really tough couple of days for Australian cricket after the passing of Rod [Marsh]. We just wish the best to both families, to Shane’s parents and his kids.

“The game was never the same after Warnie emerged and the game will never be the same after his passing. Rest in peace king.”