Australia cricket team pay tribute to Shane Warne as fans leave flowers, beer cans and cigarettes outside MCG

Australia’s cricket teams observed emotional minute’s silences for Shane Warne the day after he died, while fans flocked to the MCG to leave flowers, beer cans, photographs and cigarettes by his statue.

Cricket lost one of its greatest players on Friday as Warne died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 52.

Warne took 708 wickets in Tests, the second most in history, 293 in one-day internationals and 195 in Ashes matches. He was an integral part of one of the best teams of all time and helped Australia win the World Cup in 1999.

Australia and Pakistan men wore black armbands and held a minute’s silence before play on the second day of the first Test in Lahore.

Australia’s women also wore black armbands in their Women’s World Cup victory against England and observed a silence for both Warne and Rod Marsh, who died on Thursday.

Warne was one of the most popular cricketers in the world during his international career and remained a key figure in the game after retiring in 2013 as a commentator and coach.

Fans left a range of memorabilia and items by Warne’s statue at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where he took his first Test hat-trick and also claimed his 700th Test wicket in 2006. The beer cans and cigarettes were in fond reference to his colourful persona off the pitch.

The MCG also confirmed a stand would be permanently renamed the SK Warne Stand as a tribute.

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins paid tribute to Warne on Friday and said ‘the game of cricket will never be the same’.

‘We are all numbed by the news,’ Cummins said.

‘Shane was a once-in-a-century cricketer and his achievements will stand for all time, but apart from the wickets he took and the games he helped Australia win, what he did was draw so many people to the