Sharne Warne lives on in every nook, corner and turn in Melbourne
Nine months after his death, Shane Warne is a memory but one so tangible you could almost hold on to it while crisscrossing the streets of his hometown Melbourne or its beaches and cricket grounds.
One of crickets biggest entertainers, Warne is present in spirit and in the joy and madness of Melbourne. Whether at the St Kilda Cricket Club ground where his supple wrists first started having serious conversations with the red Kookaburra or the Brighton beach, where he would come for a sun bath or for a quick run to strengthen his lower body.
Its almost as if the 53-year-old, whose death in Thailand stunned the world of cricket and beyond, lives on in every nook, corner and turn. Shane Warnes life size statue, in that iconic leg spin pose, stands tall outside the MCG.
And one fan has actually got a mural painted on the wall of his home in Dalgaty Lane as a mark of tribute. And little wonder, it is slowly turning into a tourist destination.
But to know Warne, a visit to St Kilda Cricket Club — a beautiful ground in the inner suburb of South Melbourne where he first learnt the art of leg-spin — is a must. A young Warne was a star at the Club in Melbournes grade cricket.
The first seeds of greatness were sown in the Warne household backyard and his younger brother Jason had the best seat in the house.
“We played cricket, and every other sport against each other endlessly while growing up. He always tried to spin the ball as much as possible and started landing it more consistently in his teenaged years. He was a natural sportsman and was genuinely good in most of games,” Jason recollected the early days.
The pain of losing his brother could be felt when Jason spoke about the departed spin wizard.
“Anyone who has lost a family member would know, losing your only brother is very difficult.
“As others do, I had to come to terms with the fact that moments we shared regularly would never happen again. There wont be any more conversations, that were a part of my whole life, no more arguments, competitions or disagreements about cricket and sport.” Jason worked as Warnes business manager and for months he couldnt bring himself to set his foot in MCG, which Warne had reserved for some of his best performances.
“I actually went to the MCG for the first time last week since his memorial, it also happened to be the first time the Australian team was due to play in front of The Shane Warne Stand, I must admit, it was quite emotional,” he said.
A few minutes drive from the St. Kilda CC is a quiet colony, the Dalgaty Lane. In that lane, investment banker Anton Whitehead owns a house where you find one of the most beautiful murals. A muti-coloured facial portrait of Warne was drawn by professional artist Matt Ling, an Australian of Chinese descent.
The murals inspiration is a Sheffield Shield match where Warne played for Victoria. The Mural, full of colours, is a celebration of life. His life was never a monochrome but a rainbow with all its hues. One of ardent Warne fans, Whitehead, who is in his mid 60s was present at the Old Trafford during the 1993 Ashes where the maestro bowled Mike Gatting round his legs with what is now known as the Ball of the Century.
“When Shane passed away, I was very sad like millions of cricket lovers. I got in touch with the artist and commissioned him to do the painting for me. Thats how I wanted to remember Warnie,” Whitehead told
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)