Body of Shane Warne arrives in Australia on private jet after death in Thailand

The body of cricket great Shane Warne has arrived back in Australia almost a week after he died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand.

The 52-year-old died at a resort on the Thai island of Koh Samui last Friday sparking widespread grief as fans mourned the loss of one of the world’s best-ever spin bowlers.

His remains arrived at Essendon airport in Melbourne about 8.30pm on Thursday aboard a chartered Dassault Falcon 7X. The plane had left Bangkok about 8.30am local time on Thursday.

The plane taxied to a private hangar where police officers were stationed outside.

Thai police said earlier this week an autopsy showed Warne’s death was due to natural causes.

Warne’s body was taken by ferry to the mainland city of Surat Thani on Sunday and then on to Bangkok.

Warne’s family has accepted the Victoria government’s offer of a state memorial service to be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 March.

The MCG was the stage of the leg spinner’s famous Ashes hat-trick in 1994 and 700th Test wicket on Boxing Day in 2006 – his final series before he retired from international cricket.

Warne’s family issued a statement on Monday night describing the days since his death as “a never-ending nightmare”.

“Looking to a future without Shane is inconceivable,” his parents, Keith and Brigitte, said. “Hopefully the mountain of happy memories we all have will help us cope with our ongoing grief.”

Ticket information for the memorial service is yet to be released but the Victorian premier has said there will no crowd cap at the venue which can hold up to 100,000 spectators.

“It’s a fitting venue to say goodbye to someone who created so many indelible memories on that ground,” the premier, Daniel Andrews, said on Thursday.

“It’s