The iconic MCG will host Shane Warne’s funeral

An estimated 100,000 people are expected to attend Shane Warne’s state burial at the historic MCG in two to three weeks to honour the international spin king. The family of Warne will grieve privately before a public memorial is organized. James Erskine, who managed Warne, did not confirm the MCG as the site but implied that there would be no other suitable stadium given the prominence of the renowned Australian. However, where else can we go?” “The Age” reported Erskine saying that.

According to the Herald Sun, the state funeral will likely occur two or three weeks before the AFL season, though “all necessary arrangements” will be made to accommodate it at the MCG.

A date has not been set as Warne’s family awaits the repatriation of his corpse to Melbourne following his death on Friday from a suspected heart attack on the Thai island of Koh Samui.

Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews had express interest in attending the state burial. They had been working with Warne’s family to determine a suitable time and place.

The MCG was Warne’s favourite venue and the site of his memorable hat-trick against England on Boxing Day in 1994, when he took the wickets of tail-enders Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough, and Devon Malcolm.

Warne has his own monument at the MCG, and it has become a popular spot for fans to pay their respects, with flowers placed alongside beer cans of Victoria Bitter, packets of cigarettes, and meat pies.

The Southern Stand, which will be known as the SK Warne Stand, will also be named after the 52-year-old.

Another Australian star, former wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh, died a week after having a heart attack on the same day as Warne. Marsh has also been promised a state funeral by the Western Australian government.

Later this week, Cricket Australia, the state cricket organisations of Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia, as well as St Kilda Cricket Club, where Warne played, are expected to gather later this week to plan commemorations for the two Australian cricket giants.