During the national anthems at the Boxing Day Test, players from Australia and South Africa will wear wide-brimmed floppy hats in honor of spin legend Shane Warne.
During his final appearance at the venue during the 2006 Ashes, Warne claimed his 700th Test wicket at the MCG, before his death in March. This will be the first Test match at Warne’s home ground since his death.
During the second Test, Cricket Australia (CA) will pay tribute to Warne in a variety of ways, including a pre-match ceremony that will recognize the importance of the MCG in Warne’s life and career.
Get your floppy hats and zinc ready for Boxing Day to pay homage to one of our greatest ever ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UzUr840kZt
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 18, 2022
On March 4, Warne, considered one of the greatest players of all time, died while on vacation with friends on Samui Island in southern Thailand.
A floppy hat and a ball bearing the image of the spin legend will stand at the entrance of the field for the players to walk past as they make their way out for the pre-match anthems.
A painting of his Test cap number 350 will be displayed on the turf square of the wicket at the MCG for the game, according to cricket.com.au. A graphic of Warne will be shown on the MCG screens at 3:50pm on Boxing Day, while highlights packages of Warne will be shown throughout the match.
It is also recommended that fans attend the game wearing a floppy hat and applying Warne’s zinc cream. Warne is credited with revitalizing the art of leg-spin bowling. His illustrious career spanned 15 years and he took 708 wickets in 145 Test matches.
In the cricket fraternity, the news of his death sent shock waves.
