Cricket: Shane Warne stand unveiled at Melbourne’s Junction Oval

Melbourne: Cricket Victoria and St Kilda Cricket Club renamed one of the heritage-listed grandstands of the Junction Oval ground at Melbourne after the late spin great Shane Warne for his contribution to cricket of Victoria and St Kilda, teams which he represented at state and club levels.

Cricket Victoria took to X to announce, “A lasting tribute to the King of Spin Cricket Victoria and @StKildaCricket today unveiled the Shane Warne Stand at Junction Oval alongside special guests in Shane’s daughters Summer and Brooke, and his father Keith. Forever a Victorian and Australian sporting icon.”

As per ESPNCricinfo, the process to rename the stand, which has been around since 1925 had started way before Warne’s unfortunate demise in March 2022. The stand was previously named after Australian rules footballer Kevin Murray who has supported the change. Murray’s name now adorns a stand at Brunswick Street Oval in Fitzroy in Melbourne.

Warne’s father Keith and daughters Summer and Brooke were part of the unveiling ceremony, which took place before Victoria’s match with New South Wales in the One Day Cup. Cricket Victoria also unveiled a Shane Warne exhibition in the foyer of their administration and high-performance centre at the stadium’s northern end. The exhibition also features memorabilia from Warne’s career and is a free-to-visit place.

“Today marks a very special and proud day for the Warne family to have a stand named the Shane Warne stand here at the Junction Oval is a wonderful tribute to Shane, who we know would be honoured to be chosen for such an accolade,” Keith Warne said at the unveiling as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.