MELBOURNE: On Thursday, a private plane transported the body of Australian cricket legend Shane Warne back to his hometown of Melbourne, six days after his death at the age of 52 shocked the world.
After an eight-hour journey from Bangkok, a chartered Dassault Falcon 7X plane landed in the evening at Melbourne’s Essendon North airport, carrying the cricketing great’s coffin shrouded in an Australian flag.
His family is planning a private memorial, according to reports.
Warne, known as the “king of spin” who baffled opposing batters, will be honoured with a state tribute on March 30 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with tickets available to the general public.
On March 4, the body of the athletic legend was discovered in a luxurious resort house on the Thai island of Koh Samui. He was brought to the Thai International Hospital Samui but was unable to be revived despite medical efforts.
He died of natural causes after a suspected heart attack, according to an autopsy.
According to Thai authorities, Warne’s father stated that his son had been experiencing “chest problems” and planned to come home for a check-up following the trip.
The state memorial was announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews as a tribute to a larger-than-life figure who has been a reference point in his native nation for the past 30 years.
“There’s nowhere in the world more appropriate to farewell Warnie than the ‘G’,” Andrews said.
From his 1992 Test debut against India to his insightful commentary, Warne has been as much a part of the summer’s soundscape as children giggling on the beach or the click of the bat on the ball.
In the meanwhile, he sparked the interest of innumerable backyard cricketers and ignited the sporting globe.
Warne, who is credited with revitalising leg-spin bowling, was a key member of Australia’s dominant Test side in the 1990s and 2000s and helped his country win the 1999 limited-overs World Cup.
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