The life of legendary cricketer Shane Warne will be celebrated at a state funeral in a 100,000-seater stadium, to give fans an opportunity to say farewell.

While details of the event are being finalised, the event at Melbourne Cricket Ground is expected to include some moving tributes alongside some of the glittering highlights of the cricketer’s astonishing career.

Tickets for the event will be made available closer to the date but it will be livestreamed for those not able to attend.

The former Australia leg-spinner took a memorable Ashes hat-trick in 1994 and collected his 700th Test wicket at the ground, which is shortened to MCG.

Shortly after, Australia won the 2006/7 Ashes series in their home country against England 5-0.

Australian MP, Daniel Andrews, who is also premier of Victoria, made the offer of a state funeral to Warne’s family.

He wrote on Twitter: “There’s nowhere in the world more appropriate to farewell Warnie than the ‘G.

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“Victorians will be able to pay tribute to Shane and his contribution (to) our state, and his sport, at a memorial service at the MCG on the evening of March 30.”

Mr Andrews added that “It’ll be a very big event,” and “It will be a celebration of his life as it should be.”

Warne, one of the greatest cricketers of all time, as well as one of its most charismatic and cherished figures, died last Friday aged 52, following a suspected heart attack.

Read more:
Post-mortem reveals cricket legend died of natural causes
Warne experienced chest pains before his death
Cricket world will be a little duller after death of leg-spin legend

A tribute for the great Aussie has already been displayed on big screens at Melbourne Cricket Ground and the stadium’s Great Southern Stand will be renamed the SK Warne Stand in his honour.

His ex-wife Simone Callahan shared a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram account, where she wrote he was taken “too soon” from their children’s lives.

The Victorian government has acknowledged how difficult this time has been for Warne’s loved ones and says it hopes the celebration will “be a very, very important part” of making things that little bit easier.

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