MELBOURNE: Late spinner great Shane Warne’s number 23 jersey will be permanently retired by Melbourne Stars, a franchise he used to represent in the Big Bash League and all the players of the team will have the number incorporated into their shirts in their first home game against the Hobart Hurricanes on Friday at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Warner passed away at the age of 52 early this year after a heart attack. He played for the Stars in the first two editions of the league and even captained them to the semi-final in the 2012/13 campaign.
As per Sky Sports, Stars have decided to hang his jersey permanently in their changing room as a tribute to one of the game’s greatest ambassadors.
A standing ovation will be given to the departed legend after the 23rd ball of the match, while one of Warne’s playing shirts will be displayed on a plinth along with his cap. Stars will also play the opening game of the 2022/23 season against Sydney Thunder on Tuesday.
The side, which finished runners-up thrice and reached semifinals four times, is likely to be without their star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for the entire season after he sustained a leg injury in a freak accident at a birthday party.
However, the team has been boosted by the signing of Trent Boult.
The Stars also have some quality English players like hard-hitting batter Joe Clarke and pacer Luke Wood.
There will be 61 games in total and the lengthy play-off process is intact.
The sides finishing fourth and fifth, after each team has played the other home and away, will lock horns in the first playoff, the Eliminator. The loser will be knocked out and the winner will stay alive in the tournament.
Teams finishing first and second will square off in qualifiers and the winner will secure its place in the final.
The loser will have to go through a long route to join them.
They will go through the knockout (3rd place vs winner of Eliminator), followed by a Challenger (loser of Qualifier vs winner of Knockout), and then the final (winner of qualifier vs winner of the challenger). (ANI)