Xtra Time Web Desk : Shane Warne’s state funeral will be likely be held at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of an expected crowd of 1 lakh, which would be done in order to give a fitting farewell to the legendary Australian spinner in the next two to three weeks, according to reports.
The public memorial will be held after Warne’s family mourn him at a private service. Warne’s manager James Erskine did not confirm MCG as the venue for the state funeral but hinted that no other stadium would be an appropriate one considering the stature of the legendary Australian.
According to ‘Herald Sun’, the state funeral is likely to be held within two or three weeks, which would overlap with the Australian Rules Football League (AFL) season, but the MCG “will make all necessary arrangements to accommodate the service”.
A date has not been fixed as Warne’s family waits for his body to be returned to Melbourne following his sudden death from a suspected heart attack at Koh Samui in Thailand on Friday.
The MCG was Warne’s favourite ground and the scene of his famous hat-trick against England in the Boxing Day Test in 1994, taking the wickets of tail-enders Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm.