The late, great Shane Warne spent seven years in county cricket, representing Hampshire between 2000 and 2007.
Warne captained the county for three seasons and played his final first-class and List A matches for them, getting a stand named after him at the Ageas Bowl following his retirement. He tragically passed away last month at the age of just 52 after suffering a heart attack while on holiday in Thailand.
And Hampshire paid tribute to their former captain during their first match of the new County Championship season. During the lunch break of their game against Somerset, Hampshire invited fans onto the pitch to watch a video focusing on his time at the club.
A minute's applause was also held to 'mark the huge impact he had on the club'. Somerset tweeted an image of the fans on the pitch with caption: "A lovely tribute here at the Ageas Bowl to the late Shane Warne as people are invited onto the outfield to watch a tribute video".
Hampshire's chairman Rod Bransgrove, who was in charge during Warne's stint at the club, described him as "an inspirational leader and brilliant tactician".
Bransgrove said: "Warney had established many enduring friendships here at Hampshire Cricket and I feel privileged to regard myself as one of these.
"No doubt, like me, many will be struggling to process the tragic news and come to terms with his loss. For me, Shane Warne stands alone as the greatest spin bowler of all time. He was also an inspirational leader and brilliant tactician.
"He believed that any match could be won from any position and was good enough to fulfil this prophecy himself on many occasions. What's more, as Hampshire Captain, he convinced the players to believe in his philosophy and established Hampshire Cricket as a major force in all forms of professional cricket.
"Off the field, he was competitive, fun, naughty and lovable in equal measure. He used to say 'just because I occasionally do stupid things, it doesn't mean I'm stupid' and he couldn't have shown greater self-awareness.
"Shane Warne has made an indelible impact on the World in his tragically short time here, transcending his sport and becoming an international icon. He will be hugely missed by all those who knew him and my thoughts right now are with Keith, Bridgette, Brooke, Jackson and Summer."
