Shane Warne’s body prepared for autopsy, as global tributes flow in from Imran Khan and Virat Kohli to Russell Crowe and Ed Sheeran
- Warne, who died of a suspected heart attack, will after the autopsy be flown back to Australia, where he will receive a state funeral
- The ‘King’ of spin’s unexpected passing sparked a global outpouring of grief from prime ministers, rock stars and fellow players
Thai authorities were on Sunday preparing to conduct an autopsy on the body of Australian cricket superstar Shane Warne, who died of a suspected heart attack, before flying him home where he will receive a state funeral.
Police said there was no foul play suspected in the 52-year-old’s death after he was found unresponsive in a luxury villa on Thai holiday island Koh Samui late on Friday.
The “King” of spin’s unexpected passing sparked a global outpouring of grief from prime ministers, rock stars and fellow players, an acknowledgement that the Melbourne native transcended his sport.
On Sunday, Warne’s three children reacted to his death, with friend and manager James Erskine saying they were “in complete shock”.
“Jackson [Warne’s son] just said, ‘We expect him to walk in the door. This is like a bad dream’,” Erskine told Australia’s Channel Nine.
Warne had Jackson, Summer and Brooke with Simone Callahan, to whom he was married for 10 years until they divorced in 2005.
The player – one of the greatest Test cricketers of all time – was found unresponsive in a Samujana resort villa on Friday after failing to meet friends.
