ENG vs NZ: Match paused at Lord's for 23 seconds after 23 overs to pay tribute to Shane Warne

In the ongoing first Test at Lord’s between England and New Zealand, both the teams and the crowd paid tribute with a standing applause to one of the best leg-spinners the game has ever seen, Shane Warne.

The game was paused at the 23rd over relating to Warne’s shirt number and the crowd had stood up for paying tribute to Warne with 23 seconds of applause while a video was played with the title name ‘Remembering Shane Warne’. Meanwhile, The Sky Sports Commentary box has also been renamed the Shane Warne commentary box to honour the achievements of Warne in various cricketing fields.

“On the 4th of March, the game lost a cricket legend and the greatest leg spinner of all time. His legacy transcends cricket and even sports on and off the field in the commentary boxes and as a coach. He will be remembered as a cricketing genius, as a portal icon and as a simply one-off of a kind. His shirt number was 23 and for those able, please be upstanding for 23 seconds of applause for one of the greats of the game, Shane Warne,” it was announced at the Lord’s as the players from both teams and the spectators applauded for 23 seconds.

On March 4, the whole cricketing fraternity was in shock as Warne passed away due to a suspected heart attack during his visit to Thailand for vacation. A former World Cup winner with Australia, Warne achieved a lot in his time in international cricket.

He had some brilliant Ashes battles, especially in the 2005 series, where he was taking wickets for fun with some outstanding deliveries. He holds the record still for the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 708 wickets in 145 Tests and was the first to reach the landmark of 700 Test wickets.

To have a commentary box named after you at Lord’s is a huge honour: Mark Taylor

Former Australia skipper Mark Taylor, who is a commentator for the first Test was quoted by Sky Sports: “To have a commentary box named after you at Lord’s, where you tried to beat the old enemy, is a huge honour. It wouldn’t be lost on Warney and certainly won’t be lost on his family.

“We have lost a great mate and a guy that endeared himself to the English public. They probably started out hating him because he took too many wickets but, by the end, they absolutely loved him. Why wouldn’t they? He was a terrific fella and is a great loss to the game. It shows you the fragility of life and that you have got to enjoy it. Some stories I can tell, some I can’t! He was just fun to be around. I think every player who has played with or against him and every commentator would say that about Warney.”