Cricket legends turn up in huge numbers to bid farewell to Shane Warne at service memorial

Several cricket legends, including Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Allan Border, and Nasser Hussain, paid their heartfelt tributes at the memorial service to bid farewell to Shane Warne. The legendary Australian spinner breathed his last after suffering a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Thailand earlier this month.

On March 30 (Tuesday), more than 50,000 fans, joined by celebrities, dignitaries, friends, teammates and even his biggest rivals on the cricketing field, reached the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia to honour the 52-year-old veteran.

Bogan, deadset bogan: Merv Hughes on Shane Warne

When asked to describe the 52-year-old in one word, Allan Border said ‘genius’, Mark Taylor said ‘genuine’, Nasser Hussain said ‘entertainer’, Brain Lara said ‘the king’ and Merv Hughes made the attendees chuckle with the remark ‘bogan, deadset bogan’.

Australian great Allan Border recalled that he was Warne’s first Australia captain and recalled his emergence ahead of his Test debut in 1992.

“He was instantly likable, that was a solid start. There was a little bit of cockiness about him, this young, fresh face with the peroxide blond hair and the stud earring and the rest of it that went with it. Instantly there was something there,” Border said during the memorial service as quoted by Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, who could not go to Australia to attend the ceremony in person, sent an emotional video message. “He was always extremely competitive and did everything possible to disturb the opposition to dismiss them but when someone batted well he was always the first person to walk up and congratulate you,” said Tendulkar in his video message.

“That is how our friendship and respect for each other developed. Warney my friend, I will miss you big time. You’ll continue to live in my heart,” the former batter added.

Talking about Warne’s Test match career, the veteran spinner scalped a total of 708 wickets and it still remains the second-highest number of wickets taken by a bowler in Test cricket.