Shane Warne has obtained his first Australian state honour posthumously subsequent to being named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) alongside former tennis player Ashleigh Barty in the Queen’s Birthday list.
The spin-bowling perfect, who died at 52 years old of a thought heart attack while on vacation in Thailand in March, was showered with awards in the sporting world however had never been officially honoured by his country.
That was redressed late on Sunday when he got the award “for distinguished service to cricket as a player, role model and commentator, to the community through charitable initiatives, and for philanthropic contributions”.
“Shane Warne was one of the most talented and charismatic cricketers the world has ever seen and we are reminded today of the indelible legacy he created both on and off the field,” said Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Barty accepted her honor three months in the wake of retiring from professional tennis at 25 years old.
“There are so many Australian people who do wonderful things for our country and I want to congratulate all of the other award recipients on being recognised for their contributions,” Barty said in a statement.
“On a personal level, I always try to uphold Australian values – being humble, respectful, kind and caring for others.”
Australia women’s cricket captain Meg Lanning was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the wake of leading her country to a seventh Women’s World Cup win in New Zealand in April.