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07-03-2022
Bureau Report + Agencies
CANBERRA/ MELBOURNE/ BANGKOK: A state funeral will be held for cricket legend Shane Warne following his sudden death in Thailand on Friday.
Warne’s family today accepted the offer of a state funeral made by both the Victorian Government and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the public event “will be an opportunity for Victorians to pay tribute to his contribution to his sport, to our state and the country”.
“I’ve spoken with the Warne family again today and they have accepted my offer of a State Funeral to remember Shane,” he said.
Details of the funeral are set to be finalized in the coming days.
Warne was into the second day of a three-month break when he died of a suspected heart attack, his manager James Erskine said.
Erskine, also a friend of Warne, revealed he has since found out the cricket legend had “a bit of chest pain” and was sweating last week.
Warne’s body was today transferred from the island of Koh Samui to the Thai mainland.
He will be transported back to Australia after an autopsy.
Warne was found by his friend Andrew Neophitou, an executive producer on his recently released documentary, who had gone to Warne’s Thailand residence before a planned meeting with friends at 5pm.
When he was not ready on time, his friends knew something was amiss.
“He was always on time, Warnie,” Erskine said.
“Then at quarter past five Neo knocked on his door and no answer.
“He wandered in, he said ‘Come on, Warnie. Wake up, wake up’ then realized there was something wrong.”
What followed was a 20-minute procedure of CPR and mouth-to-mouth.
“Unfortunately he was then put in an ambulance and when he got to the hospital he was pronounced dead,” Erskine said.
Erskine said he expected an autopsy to take place overseas following Warne’s sudden death.
“I think the family would prefer an autopsy in Australia but I think that’s going to happen now in Thailand,” he said.
“I don’t know definitely about that but I think that will happen.”
Neophitou said they “really just want to get Shane home”.
Police in Thailand said there was no suspicion of foul play.
Australian Ambassador to Thailand Allan McKinnon thanked the police and hospital staff for helping to get Warne’s body back to Australia as quickly as possible.
“They’ve been very compassionate and efficient and very understanding,” he said.
Erskine said he was told by Warne’s secretary Helen that the former cricketer had “a bit of chest pain” and was sweating last week.
“I only found that out later on after he’d died, I didn’t know that at the time,” he said.
“He did go on these ridiculous sort of diets, and he was just finished one, where he basically only ate fluids for 14 days and he’d done this three or four times.
“It was a bit all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagne stuffed in the middle or he would be basically having these black and green juices.”
‘He never changed’
Erskine said there were many things he loved about the late cricketer.
Warne was the type of person who “could talk to the Queen of England and the dust bin man at the same time”.
“He could almost persuade the Queen to take out his dust bins,” he said.
Regardless of the situation, Warne was honest and himself, Erskine said.
“I think the thing I most loved is he never changed,” he said.
“It didn’t matter what situation he was in.
“He had this unbelievable confidence and the bigger the theatre, the bigger the stage, he was there.”
‘Like a bad dream’
Erskine had the hard task of delivering the bad news to Warne’s family
“Warne’s three children Jackson Summer and Brooke “are in complete shock” since their father’s death.
“Jackson just said ‘We expect him to walk in the door. This is like a bad dream’,” he told Today.
His manager also spoke to his ex-wife Simone Callahan and Warne’s father Keith.
“They can’t believe what’s happened,” he said.
“I think that’s what happens when you have a sudden death and you’re not expecting it.
“One minute the kids are talking to him every day and the next minute they can’t talk to him.
“They start talking about ‘he’s not going to be there for my 21st, he’s not going to take me down the aisle’.
“Those things go through your head. They are having a much harder time than anybody really.”
Tributes to an Australian legend
The Prime Minister said Australia had lost one of its greatest cricket players.
“We have lost one of Australia’s greatest cricketers,” Morrison said in a statement.
“We are bewildered by this sad and sudden loss.
“In recognition of Shane Warne’s national achievements, his family will be offered a state funeral by the Commonwealth Government.
“This will be done in consultation with the Warne family, Cricket Australia and the Victorian Government to ensure we honor Shane’s passing and memory.”
Andrews also announced the MCG’s largest grandstand, the 45,000-seat Great Southern Stand will be permanently renamed in Warne’s honor.
“The Government will rename the Great Southern Stand at the MCG, the place he took his hat-trick and 700th wicket to honor Shane and his contribution to the game,” Andrews said on Twitter.
“The S.K. Warne Stand will be a permanent tribute to an amazing Victorian.”
Former Prime Minister John Howard also paid tribute to Warne, while wearing a Cricket Australia polo.
“You could work out why he was such a good bowler when you listen to his commentary because he knows the intricacies of the game and all great players are like that,” he said.
His former fiancée, actress Elizabeth Hurley, posted a photo tribute of their love story.
“I feel like the sun has gone behind a cloud forever,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Rest in peace my beloved Lionheart.”
Tributes also came in from across the world, with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, and British comedian and actor Stephen Fry just some of the notable overseas names to react to Warne’s death.
One of the greatest bowlers of all time, and arguably Australia’s finest cricketer behind only Sir Donald Bradman, Warne finished his career with 1001 international wickets.
