Bengaluru, October 7: Former Australian Australian cricketer Dean Jones, who passed away recently in India, was remembered at a small, private funeral which included a lap of the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Jones's wife Jane, daughters Isabella and Phoebe, and his siblings were among a small group at the funeral ceremony held over the weekend.
Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, limits funeral services to 10 people due to the restrictions and health guidelines in place following the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The 59-year-old, who died on September 24 after suffering a cardiac arrest at a hotel in Mumbai, while he was working as a panel expert for Star Sports network for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, which is currently underway in the UAE.
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Cricket Australia shared the emotional video of the lap of honour at MCG on their official Twitter handle.
One last lap of the @MCG for Deano, farewelled by ten of his closest family members over the weekend. Forever in our hearts! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/R2skRt2CkB
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) October 7, 2020
A hearse carrying Jones's handmade Indian coffin and decorated with a floral arrangement of '324', his Australian Test cap number, drove a lap around the empty MCG as Elton John's Rocket Man played over loudspeakers.
"We've been deeply moved by the outpouring of love for Dean over the last week and can't thank everyone enough for their support and for sharing their memories with us," said Jane Jones in comments released by Australian media.
A hearse carrying Jones' handmade Indian coffin was adorned with the Australian flag and a floral 324 arrangement showcasing Deano's Australian Test cap number ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MaZGaERs6Y
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) October 7, 2020
"It has been an awful time to navigate as a family, but I couldn't have thought of a more fitting place to say goodbye to my husband," Jane Jones added.
In a decade-long career, Jones, known affectionately as 'Deano' by the global cricket community, played 52 Tests and 164 One-day Internationals for the Kangaroos.
He was part of Australia's 1987 World Cup-winning squad led by Allan Border. More than that, he is often remembered for his epic double century in the tied Test match against India at the Chepauk Stadium in 1986.
(With inputs from Agencies)