Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne’s family and friends bid farewell at hometown funeral
- Considered one of the finest bowlers of all time, whose fame transcended cricket, Warne died two weeks ago at the age of 52 while on holiday on Koh Samui
- About 80 people attended the service including other sporting greats and entertainers; ex-love, actress Elizabeth Hurley, was absent due to filming commitments
Family, sportspeople and entertainers bid farewell to Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne at a private funeral held at his hometown in Melbourne on Sunday.
Warne, one of the finest bowlers of all time whose talent and personality transcended cricket, died about two weeks ago at the age of 52 while on holiday on the Thai resort island of Koh Samui. Thai authorities said an autopsy showed his death was from natural causes and Warne’s family later accepted the findings.
About 80 people attended the service including retired Australian Test captains Mark Taylor, Allan Border and Michael Clarke, while former England skipper Michael Vaughan was also present.
Warne’s long-time teammates Mark Waugh and Ian Healy were also there, along with bowling greats Merv Hughes and Glenn McGrath.
Guests were asked to wear St Kilda scarves and a pair of them were draped across Warne’s coffin as it was driven around the oval of St Kilda Football Club to popular songs including the 1970s Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes hit ‘The Time of My Life’, the Australian Associated Press reported.
“To Warnie,” Warne’s close friend Eddie McGuire declared in his speech, according to AAP. “He was simply the best.”