Plans to make a tv series about cricketer Shane Warne’s life just months after his death are “beyond insulting,” according to his eldest daughter. The initiative was started shortly after Warne’s death in March by Australia’s Nine Network, where he worked as a commentator for almost 20 years.
The two-part film, Warnie, is said to be an appropriate homage. However, his family and friends believe the show is disrespectful and want it cancelled.
“Do any of you have any regard for your father? What about his family? Who did so much for Channel Nine, and now you want to dramatise his life and the lives of our family (sic) six months after he died?” Brooke Warne, 25, posted a photo on Instagram.
James Erskine, Warne’s long-time manager, has previously criticised the production.
“He’s only been deceased for a couple of months, and for them to flip this around and think of doing something sensational, they should be ashamed of themselves,” Mr Erskine told the Herald Sun in June.
A representative for Nine told Guardian Australia on Thursday that the mini-series would be a celebration of the life of “a man who lived life large and loved passionately.”
“We have huge respect for Shane and all of his accomplishments, and we hope that all Australians, including Warnie’s family, will feel that the programme honours his legacy and life,” they stated.
Although no casting information has been released, Nine has stated that the biography would be shown in Australia over two nights in 2023.
Warne, 52, died on the Thai vacation island of Koh Samui on March 4. He is regarded as one of the best athletes of all time.
His mastery of leg spin, a bowling type that had faded during the 1970s and 1980s when fast bowlers ruled, transformed cricket.
In 145 matches throughout a 15-year international career, Warne took 708 Test wickets, the second most of all time.