The Great Southern Stand at the MCG will be renamed in honour of Shane Warne after the 52-year-old died from a heart attack while holidaying in Thailand.
Premier Daniel Andrews took to Twitter on Saturday to announce the stand will be renamed the S.K. Warne Stand.
‘I’ve just informed the Warne family that the Government will rename the Great Southern Stand at the MCG – the place he took his hat trick and 700th wicket – to honor Shane and his contribution to the game,’ he wrote.
‘The S.K. Warne Stand will be a permanent tribute to an amazing Victorian.’
Warne was found unconscious at the Samujana Villa on the island of Koh Samui.
Thai police said he was staying in the villa with four friends, and when one of the group tried to wake him for food he was found to be unresponsive.
The MCG holds significant importance for Warne and his loyal fans as it marks a momentous stage in the cricket legend’s stellar career.
The Great Southern Stand at MCG to be renamed in honour of late Shane Warne
Cricketing legend Sane Warne has died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 52
Fans begin to add tributes to the base of the statue of Shane Warne outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Warne clean bowled England captain Andrew Strauss at the cricket ground to bring up his 700th Test wicket on December 26, 2006.
The Victorian government has also offered Warne’s family to hold a state funeral for the greatest leg spinner in history.
The state funeral is set to be held in Melbourne, with a date to be confirmed in consultation with the Warne family, Cricket Australia and the Victorian Government ‘to ensure it honours Shane’s passing and memory’.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the nation is ‘in shock’ at the untimely passing of the cricket great.
‘The whole country would have woken up in shock today, it’s just terrible, Mr Morrison told 3AW in Melbourne.
‘He was one of those cricketers who changed the game globally, not just here in Australia.
‘And at such a young age, younger than me. That is a terrible shock to all those who knew and loved him.’
Mr Morrison labelled Warne as ‘one of our greatest cricketers of all time’ and said he was one of the few sporting greats to match the great Don Bradman.
‘His achievements were the product of his talent, his discipline and passion for the game he loved,’ he said.
‘But Shane was more than this to Australians. Shane was one of our nation’s greatest characters. His humour, his passion, his irreverence, his approachability ensured he was loved by all. Australians loved him. We all did.’
A worn cricket ball with a heartfelt message from a fan is left at the base of the statue of Warne outside the MCG in Melbourne
Prime Minister Scott Morrison posted a tribute to Shane Warne, expressing his shock at the cricket legend’s premature death at the age of 52
‘There was something magical that he brought to our summers. The bleached blonde hair, the almost casual way he moved to send down a delivery, and his engagement with the crowd. He was one of a kind.
Mr Morrsion said Warne inspired many children around the world to try their hand at cricket.
‘He made it all look so easy. At some point, in most Australian backyards, we all tried to deliver a flipper,’ he explained.
‘As we heard as a commentator, behind the playfulness that we associated with Shane, there was a player who understood the strategies and intricacies of cricket as few others. A brilliance that will always be remembered alongside that of Bradman and Benaud.
An emotional Pat Cummins joined celebrities, sports stars, former teammates and politicians from around the world to pay tribute to the cricket legend on Saturday.
‘The game was never the same after Warnie emerged, and the game will never be the same after his passing,’ Cummins said in a video uploaded to Twitter. ‘Rest in peace, King.’
Mark Taylor thought Shane Warne’s ‘turbulent life’ would just keep rolling on forever
The Victorian government has also offered Warne’s family to hold a state funeral for the greatest leg spinner in history
The Australian test captain looked down the camera with tear-filled eyes as he recalled fond memories of ‘Warnie’.
‘Warnie was an all-time great, a once in a century type cricketer and his records will live on forever,’ he said.
‘We all grew up watching Warnie, idolising him. We loved so much about Warnie. His showmanship, his charisma, his tactics. The way he just wheeled himself and the team to win games for Australia.’
Mark Taylor thought Shane Warne’s ‘turbulent life’ would just keep rolling on forever.
But now, the former Australian captain is like the rest of his teammates: numbed at news of Warne’s death.
‘He has had a turbulent life but a very full life,’ Taylor told the Nine Network.
