The sporting world and beyond expressed grief, with rich tributes constantly pouring in on social media after Shane Warne one of the all-time greats of the game, died at the age of 52 due to a heart attack in Thailand on Friday. The spin icon who reinvented the art of leg-spin bowling picked up a total of 1001 wickets in his glittering international career. He was the first-ever bowler to scale the peak of 1,000 international scalps.
Police in Thailand confirmed on Monday that Warne died of natural causes, following an autopsy conducted by a forensic doctor at a hospital in Surat Thani. The legendary player's family has also shared a statement. Shane’s parents, Keith and Brigitte, described it as a ‘never-ending nightmare’ which began on Friday with the tragic death of their son.
Keith and Brigitte said that they feel “honoured” being offered a state memorial for their son. The couple also thanked the state government and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for naming a stand as a tribute to Shane.
They further acknowledged the support of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and said they are "grateful" for the messages they have been receiving since the past few days.
{{/usCountry}}They further acknowledged the support of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and said they are "grateful" for the messages they have been receiving since the past few days.
{{/usCountry}}Keith and Brigitte Warne statement
“The night of the 4th of March 2022 is when a never-ending nightmare began for our family, for that is the date we lost our much loved and admired son, father, brother and Uncle, Shane Keith Warne’ a tragedy we will never come to terms with.
“To find words to adequately express our sadness is an impossible task for us and looking to a future without Shane is inconceivable, hopefully the mountain of happy memories we all have will help us cope with our ongoing grief.
“Over the past few days Shane has been honoured with the family being offered a state memorial for Shane by Premier Dan Andrews which the family have gratefully accepted.
“The Premier and Minister for Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula have also advised that the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be renamed the S.K Warne Stand. We sincerely offer our thanks to the state government and the MCG trust for this honour.
“We would also like to acknowledge the support of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his kind words both personally and on behalf of the country, as everyone knows Shane was an extremely proud Victorian and Australian.
“Brigitte and I are most grateful for the many messages of love and support received over the past few days and thank one and all for their kind words of comfort.
“We also wish to acknowledge and thank those members of the media who are honouring our request to respect our family’s privacy and who will continue to do so.”