When the “King of Spin” attended the unveiling of his likeness outside his girlfriend Melbourne Cricket More than a decade ago, he quipped that the “amazing” result made “about four hours” worthwhile for the sculptor to measure between his nose and ears.
But mocking it, Warne said he loved the idea that the statue would be a future reference point – a place for ordinary Australians to come together.
“It’s a wonderful walk mcg For whatever you’re going through,” he said. “So here’s a place where people can meet and say ‘I’ll meet you at Shane Warne’s statue’ would be nice.”
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Now, a decade later on a damp Saturday morning, fans arranged to meet “at a Shane Warne statue” to mark his untimely death at 52 and join in their shared grief.
John Haddad said, “I’m not even a big cricket person, but I’ve met him before and he’s not much different in age. It hits home.”
Over the past 30 years, Warne the Man has been a reference point that brought Australians closer together.
From his Test debut against India in 1992 to his scathing commentary – is now as much a part of the Australian summer’s soundscape as the kids laughing at the beach or the click of the bat on the ball.
In the intervening time, he captured the imagination of countless backyard cricketers and set the sports world on fire.
AP photo)
“It was devastating to lose a childhood hero,” said Andy Smith, who had come to the MCG to lay a bouquet and pay tribute to him.
“Everyone was here as a kid, and was watching cricket shows, especially the lunch break shows, where he would come out and show his bowling techniques. It was always wonderful to watch.”
“I think he was a hero to a lot of kids,” Smith said, specifically recalling Warne’s historic 700th wicket and his retirement.
Most Australians of a certain age especially remember where they were for Warne’s “Ball of the Century” against England. Mike Gatting – A delivery so special, so absurd it has been the subject of a scientific paper.
“I was in China at the time watching TV and when they showed that clip,” Chris Morrow said.
“Here I was in the middle of Qingdao going ‘whoop, whoop, whoop’, that was the biggest moment.”
With a friend he wanted to come to the MCG to pay tribute to the rock star of cricket – who was as famous off the field for his tough life as his skill at it.
He kept some of Warne’s favorite items – “a meat pie from a service station, and a pack of Winfield Blue (cigarettes), and half a dozen VB (beer).”