Australia to say farewell to lovable rogue Shane Warne

Shane Warne's death at a Thailand villa, his statue at the Melbourne Cricket Ground remains decorated with flowers, cigarettes and beer cans left by fans mourning the loss of one of cricket's most authentic characters. Australians will remember Warne at a televised memorial service at his home stadium on Wednesday, with nearly 50,000 people to attend the venue where the spin-bowling great captured his 700th Test wicket against Ashes foes England. Many will be seated in the southern grandstand, re-named the SK Warne Stand in the wake of his death at age 52. "He made mistakes and had a few hiccups but he was genuine about stuff," said Bill Patterson of Melbourne, sharing a drink with friends by Warne's statue. "He was just a normal person as well as being amazing from a cricketing point of view. He was a bit of a rogue but a good fellow and people recognise that." Australia loves sporting heroes like few other countries. The captaincy of the Test team has long been dubbed "the second most important office" after that of the Prime Minister.

But deeper affections are often reserved for athletes with a mischievous streak, who rise from humble beginnings, thumb their nose at convention and own their flaws and shine with talent. A lifelong smoker and a dietician's nightmare, Warne ticked all of those boxes through a career of brilliance and scandal. "Not everyone follows cricket in Australia but everyone knows Shane Warne and it's kind of taken the wind out of many of us," said Inkie Bissell, a radio broadcaster from northern Queensland state. High-profile athletes, politicians and celebrities will attend the memorial on Wednesday, underscoring Warne's appeal as a sporting showman.

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