The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has paid tribute to Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne who passed away unexpectedly on Friday (WA time).
The 52-year-old was found unconscious at the Samujana Villas resort on the island of Koh Samui late on Friday night. His death has been attributed to a suspected heart attack. Warne was holiday on the island with friends.
Ahead of tonight’s celebration at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where Warne played many of his most acclaimed cricket games, the team from the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras marked his passing and highlighted his support for LGBTIQA+ people.
In 2021 when Crickets governing body amended the rules of the game to be more gender inclusive, replacing words like ‘batsman’ with ‘batter’, Warne voice his support for the new approach. Warne said he was “all for it” and it showed the sport had recognised it had to “get with the times”.
Cricket Australia said they were “We are shocked and saddened” by Warne’s passing, describing him as “A true cricketing genius.”
OIP Staff
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