Heavyweight Warne immortalised in bronze at MCG

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Shane Warne cuts a svelte  figure these days but his time as a more rotund player were  recalled when a bronze statue of the spin-bowling great was  unveiled at Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

Shane Warne and his replica (theage.com.au) photo)

The 42-year-old made a much-publicised return to cricket  after a short retirement at the MCG last weekend in Australia’s  revamped domestic Twenty20 competition.

But it was the 708 test wickets – he grabbed his 700th at  the MCG – that earned Warne a place alongside 10 other  Australian sporting greats outside the most famous sporting  venue in his home city.

“It’s 300 kilos that statue, it’s pretty lifelike for when I  played,” Warne joked to reporters after the unveiling.

“It’s a great honour, it’s a bit weird seeing yourself up  there but I’m very proud.”

Despite having retired from the test arena for nearly four  years, Warne remains one of his country’s most popular  cricketers and his return was a huge boon to the new “Big Bash”  series.
After a quiet first match, he showed he could still produce  some magic on the pitch in his second outing for the Melbourne  Stars against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba on Tuesday.

Fitted with a microphone by the TV broadcaster when bowling  to Brendon McCullum, Warne said he thought the New Zealander  would sweep the next delivery and that he “might try to slide  one in there… fast”.

He duly bowled the batsmen around his legs with the ball  hitting the off-stump, leaving McCullum lauding the Australian’s   “genius”.

“He’s still got it. He’s the oracle isn’t he? He’s a  genius,” he said. “I was just trying to pay the respect by  looking to play a fine lap shot to get off strike and attack the  other guys.

“He’s just too good, I got beaten to the punch by the  world’s greatest player, there’s no harm in that.”