During the BBL 2022-23 match between Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the crowd applauded the legendary Shane Warne, who passed away earlier this year. This was the first home BBL game for the Melbourne Stars this season.
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Warne was with the club in the initial two years of the BBL, and he was a constant supporter of the club after it as well. Warne’s family will attend the matchday presentation and will go to the changerooms after the match where the matchday top of Warne is hanged. The club has also officially retired his jersey number.
The leg-spinner was the first-ever bowler to surpass the milestone of 700 test wickets and is the 2nd highest wicket-taker in tests just after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan. He was the first captain to win the IPL, where he won the inaugural season with Rajasthan Royals in 2008.
Shane Warne jersey number
Shane Warne played for just a single BBL club and that was Melbourne Stars. Warne is certainly a club legend, and he also was the captain of the side during his tenure. He wore jersey number 23, and that’s why the MCG crowd applauded the great man after the 23rd ball of the Melbourne Stars’ innings.
Warne’s record as a bowler was not that great in the Big Bash League, where he managed to scalp just 11 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 7.26. He could not pick many wickets, but he is still counted as one of the club’s best-ever players. Warne came out of retirement to take part in BBL 01 and BBL 02.
A fitting tribute to The King at the 23rd ball 💚👑 #BBL12 pic.twitter.com/cExoLDSWXS
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 16, 2022
Warne had quite a few controversies in the BBL as well where he engaged with Marlon Samuels in a heated fight and was fined once for giving captaincy to James Faulkner in order to save himself from getting punished.