Fans reached Shane Warne's bronze statue in Melbourne with flowers, cigarettes and beers after they woke up to harrowing news of the Australian spin legend's death, due to a suspected heart attack.
Tributes poured in from the entire cricketing fraternity, expressing shock and grief while they remembered Warne's celebrated life that extended well beyond the sport. Australian PM Scott Morrison praised him as an inspiration to backyard cricketers across the country and someone who lit up each Australian summer.
Warne, who had described his life as a "soap opera", let himself slip into various controversies and scandals that spilled out in public throughout his cricketing career. Among them, Warne almost faced serious action here in India, during an Indian Premier League match.
In 2009, when the spinner lead Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Warne was caught on TV taking a sip of what was assumed beer that was offered by a fan in the stands. He was stepping on the field after a strategic break when this happened.
Warne, who rarely managed to evade such controversies, came under criticism from some sections but managed to get away with it unscathed. The tournament authorities then did not make much of it and refrained from official responses. A senior official reportedly said, "I don't think that the incident should be against the rules or something. Because, just like dope tests, if cricketers were to be asked to go for alcohol tests, I wonder how many would actually pass it!"
As it turns out, it was ruled that the consumption of alcohol by a player may not come under anti-doping rules governed by WADA and practiced by ICC. In addition, Royals backed Warne and had a cheerful response. "Warne is someone who plays hard and parties harder. But he doesn’t drink on the field...,” the franchise's then-owner and Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty had said.
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