Warne’s family uncertain of being present for Galle Test
Late spin legend Shane Warne was not a popular figure among Sri Lankans in the 1990s but his contributions towards the country’s most disadvantaged kids after the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 helped change that feeling.
Warne died on March 4, 2022, during a holiday in Thailand and nearly four months into his shocking demise, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will pay tribute to the legend when the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia begins at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
His family has been invited to join the ceremony that would begin just before the start of the first Test but their presence remains uncertain.
“We have written to his family through Cricket Australia but we have not received any confirmation of their visit,” confirmed Mohan de Silva, Secretary of SLC and added that CEO of Cricket Australia, Nick Hockley will grace the occasion.
“He had a deep passion to support and help underprivileged people of Sri Lanka and on numerous occasions, he engaged on many projects, spending large sums of money for community development programmes,” said de Silva of Warne. “I think it’s the duty and responsibility to remember him with gratitude when the Test series commences for the Murali-Warne Trophy.”