In the cavernous depths of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a sense of reverence descends upon a small group granted exclusive access. Historian and podcaster Tom Holland, alongside his wife and producer, are being ushered into a secure room to witness what he describes as "holy relics." The occasion is a private preview of the new Shane Warne "Treasures of a Legend" exhibition, soon to open at the Australian Sports Museum within the iconic stadium.
A Pilgrimage to a Cricketing Chapel
Led by the museum's genial manager, Jed Smith, the English visitors are given a privilege money cannot buy, secured by the global reach of Holland's podcast, The Rest Is History. Fresh from a Sydney show, the group is in Melbourne where Warne first mesmerised the world with his fizzing leg-breaks. Holland, a devoted cricket fan and player for the Authors CC, is particularly eager. "Will we get to see the ball of the century?" he asks as they approach an unmarked green door. "Oh yes," Smith replies with a smile as wide as one of Warne's deliveries.
Beyond the door lies a vast storage room, a treasure trove of sporting history. Metal shelves and large tables are laden with boxes, bags, hats, helmets, bats, stumps, boots, and countless cricket balls. Smith explains the poignant backstory: Warne meticulously curated this collection throughout his career, returning home after each series to date, inscribe, and catalogue items with his then-wife, Simone. "It's almost as if he knew that someday people would want to come and see all this stuff," Smith reflects.
Artefacts of a Maverick's Career
The exhibition items paint an intimate portrait of the man behind the legend. There's the famous white floppy sun hat, doffed in the indelible image from his final Test farewell in 2007. Nearby sits the stump from his celebratory Trent Bridge balcony dance in 1997. Another powerful artefact is the helmet he wore with a sheepish grin during a 1999 ODI against England, when he emerged in flip-flops to calm a hostile Bay 13 crowd at the MCG—a crowd that moments later bowed to him en masse.
The collection reveals Warne's unique character. Contrary to the cult of the baggy green, which he famously said made him want to "puke," he possessed four such caps. Smith chuckles, noting one is inscribed 'on loan from Cricket Australia'. Dozens of bowling boots, each with a hole cut for his big toe, line the shelves. A pair marked "Beneaud. 249" in pen—a bowler's own spelling mistake—commemorates the moment he surpassed Richie Benaud as Australia's leading leg-spinner.
The Sacred Seam: Touching History
The tour reaches its crescendo with the balls. A hush falls as Smith presents the ball of the century, the very delivery that announced Warne to the world and changed his life forever. "Am I allowed to hold it?" Holland asks in disbelief, before cradling it like a precious object. When the artefact is passed on, its cellophane wrapping slightly open, the temptation proves irresistible. In a fleeting, gossamer touch, a finger meets the legendary seam—a silent tribute from a former teenage wrist-spinner to the king of spin himself.
Confessing this transgression to Smith later prompts a laugh and a "You scoundrel!" from the manager, who assures that the ball will be firmly behind security glass for the public display. "Shane Warne's magic and skill spoke to people on a personal level," Smith remarks, understanding the profound impact of facing these objects. The MCG is the fitting home for these treasures, chosen by Warne's family, who have been intimately involved. His children have provided emotional voiceovers to guide visitors through the exhibition.
"Warne: Treasures of a Legend" is now open at the Australian Sports Museum within the Melbourne Cricket Ground, offering fans a chance to connect with the legacy of a cricketer who transcended rivalry and became a global icon.
