KOH SAMUI: Thai authorities were preparing Sunday 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 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.

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.

Warne was taken to the Thai International Hospital Samui at about 6:00 pm (1100 GMT), but his management said despite medical efforts “he could not be revived”.

Officers on the holiday island said Saturday “no foul play was suspected” following an initial investigation and confirmed Warne’s body would be transported to Surat Thani for an autopsy.

Relatives had “already coordinated with the Australian Embassy so that right after the autopsy’s finished, they will take his body back to Australia,” said local police chief Yutthana Sirisombat.

Speaking outside Koh Samui’s police station Andrew Neophitou, a close friend of Warne, said: “We really just want to get Shane home, that’s all it is.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison led tributes to one of the country’s “greatest characters” and announced Warne would receive a full state funeral.

Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews saidWarne’s family had accepted, and that the funeral would be “an opportunity for Victorians to pay tribute to his contribution to his sport, to our state and the country.”

Over the weekend fans gathered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to lay flowers and some unusual offerings — among them cigarettes, beer and meat pies — to remember a unique cricketing talent.

Erskine said that “obviously” Warne smoked most of his life.

Credited with reviving the art of leg spin, Warne made his Test debut in 1992 against India, kicking off a 15-year international career.

Warne was rated as one of the five greatest players of the 20th century by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, but the wily spinner’s hard living often made tabloid headlines as well.

“I think it was just a massive heart attack,” Erskine said. “Keith, Shane’s father, is a pretty strong individual, but like everybody, he’s just shattered, they can’t believe what’s happened.”

Erskine said Warne was known for his extremes.

“He did go on these ridiculous sort of diets, and he was just finished with one,” Erskine said. “It was a bit all or nothing. It was either white buns with butter and lasagne stuffed in the middle or he would be having black and green juices.”

Warne was divorced from wife Simone Callahan, with whom he had three children — Jackson, Summer and Brooke.

His former fiancee, actress Elizabeth Hurley, said on Instagram the “sun has gone behind a cloud forever”, adding: “RIP my beloved Lionheart.”

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2022