The
Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is set to be named
after Australian cricket legend Shane Warne after the cricketer passed
away on Friday at the age of 52.

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Warne
was on a holiday in Thailand where he breathed his last, the cricketer’s
manager said.

The
legendary leg-spinner took his 700th Test wicket in front of cheering fans in
the Southern Stand at the MCG on Boxing Day 2006. On Saturday morning, people
of Melbourne gathered around his statue to lay flowers, cricket balls, beers,
pies and cigarettes as a tribute to Warne.

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Victoria’s
minister for tourism and sport, Martin Pakula, confirmed that he had consulted
with Victoria premier Daniel Andrews, MCC Trust chairman Steve Bracks and MCC
CEO Stuart Fox and they had resolved to honour Warne by renaming the Southern
Stand in his honour.

“We
will be renaming the Great Southern Stand the S.K. Warne stand and we’ll be
doing that as soon as we possibly can,” Pakula said. “I can think of
no finer tribute to the greatest cricketer this state has produced than to
rename the stand the S.K. Warne stand and no matter whatever happens to that
stand in the future whether it’s rebuilt, refurbished, renovated, it will
remain the S.K. Warne stand in perpetuity because his legend will live in
perpetuity.”

Also Read: Shane Warne dies at 52, tributes pour in

Cricket
Victoria is also planning to honour Warne as there were already plans to
potentially rename a stand at the Junction Oval in his name prior to his
passing.

State
funeral for Warne

Earlier,
Victoria Premier Andrews and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison contacted
Warne’s family and offered them to honour the cricketer with a full state
funeral.

Cricket
Australia chairman Dr Lachlan Henderson also spoke to Morrison directly on
Saturday and thinks renaming the Southern Stand at the MCG would be a fitting
tribute.

Also Read: Shane Warne lived more in his life than most would do in 20: Glenn McGrath

“That
would seem a very appropriate acknowledgement of Shane Warne,” Henderson
said. “He’s been an icon of the game, obviously with St Kilda Cricket
Club, Victoria, our Australian team for so many years. He also played cricket
all around the world. So it’s a very fitting tribute.

Also Read: Shane Warne’s family offered state funeral as Australia wakes up to sad news

“Right
here this morning, driving past a junior cricket ground in Victoria, I saw a
young leg-spin bowler bowl a beautifully flighted ball that beat the bat and
I’m sure someone was looking down on that young bowler as he embarks on his
career.”