Sri Lanka Cricket set to pay tribute to Shane Warne during first Test at Galle
Sri Lanka Cricket intends to dedicate the first Test, beginning on June 29 at the Galle International Stadium, to the memory of Shane Warne.
Members in attendance will pay tribute to Shane Warne by standing at attention before the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia gets underway. The legendary Australian leg-spinner tragically passed away at the age of 53 in Thailand on March 4 earlier this year.
Warne, apart from holding a formidable record with the ball in the island nation, also made an impact with his humanitarian causes. Personally visiting the country in the aftermath of the disastrous 2004 tsunami, the former leg-spinner made a significant contribution in the country getting back to its feet. He also made a contribution to the renovation of the Galle International Stadium, which was one of his favorite venues to bowl.
Sri Lankans will stand to attention in a fitting salute to all-time cricketing great Australian spin wizard Shane Warne when the first Test between Sri Lanka and Australia gets underway on June 29 at the Galle.
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Moreover, the Galle International Stadium also holds a lot of importance to Warne. The spin wizard reached the landmark of 500 Test wickets at this venue back in 2004, which was also his last tour of the nation in whites.
The legendary spinner ended with 708 wickets from 145 Tests and also made the white ball speak with 293 ODI scalps in 194 matches. Several leagues and nations have already paid tribute to Warne in their own fashion over the last couple of months.
Shane Warne's brother and sister-in-law invited by Sri Lanka Tourism Minister
The landmark Test is also expected to host Shane Warne's brother Jason and his wife Shay. Apart from them, a host of former Sri Lanka cricketers have also been invited to the Test that begins on June 29. Sri Lanka Tourism Minister Harin Fernando sent out invitations for the Test.
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Heard a lot of people scream "Shane Warne!" It's a Sri Lanka Cricket fan who decided to pay tribute to the legend...
Miss you Warnie ❤️ #SLvAUS https://t.co/VPcV0UL6bx
Chalaka Gajabahu, the chairman of the nation's Tourism Promotion Bureau, said (via PakObserver):
“The Galle stadium was one of Australian cricketer Shane Warne’s favourite cricket grounds and he helped to raise money to rebuild it, after the devastation caused by the tsunami in 2004.”
He added:
“We are honoured to invite the family of Shane Warne. With the great memory of Shane Warne’s services to the nation, the Ministry of Tourism, together with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), have decided to dedicate this first Test to Warne.”
The Dimuth Karunaratne-led side will take on Australia in the two-match series, which will be a part of the World Test Championship (WTC). The Tests will conclude Australia's first tour of the island nation in six years. The T20I and ODI series were won by the visitors and hosts respectively.