Shane Warne stand unveiled at MCG in memory of spin legend

In order to pay tribute to the legendary leg spinner Shane Warne, the crowds arrived at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground to unveil the southern stand in the name of Warne. This was done in the presence of Warne’s three children – Brooke, Summer, and Jackson, who came up with heart-rending speeches. Meanwhile, MCG has been able to produce a lot of memories for Warne, including his maiden five-wicket haul in 1992 against the West Indies.

The late spin wizard brought up his 700th wicket at the same ground. No wonder, the fans shed tears on his sudden death on March 4 this year. Warne’s achievements did not stop with the game itself as he was more than a magician with the ball. From Greg Norman to Kylie Minogue, many prominent celebrities paid tribute to the legend. From being named as one of the Wisden cricketers of the year in 1994 to being a part of Australia‘s ‘greatest ever ODI team’, the talisman broke a lot of records in his international career.

His ball of the century to Mike Gatting will be etched in the memories of the fans forever. He has also contributed to the analytical side of the game immensely apart from being a technician with the ball. Owing to the same, a lot of cricket experts had spoken on the Spin wizard’s impact on the game in the memorial program at the MCG, including the greats like Mark Taylor, Mark Hughes and Brian Lara.

Cricket experts pay their tribute to Shane Warne

“We were in a panic from Melbourne to Sydney, thinking it was all over… that’s when we knew that we had met someone very, very special,” Lara, who has had a lot of battles with Warne, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“He made slow bowling fashionable again, he made it cool,” Taylor told.

“As good as he was on the cricket field, he was five times better off it. One of the most loyal people you know. He did what he did because of who he is – I feel sorry for people who never met him.” Merv Hughes said. “I smoked, I drank, and I played a little cricket.” Warne’s father, Keith, gave the first address of the family.