Shane Warne’s body is flown back to Australia for state funeral

Shane Warne’s body is being flown back to Australia after departing Thailand earlier on Thursday.

The cricket legend’s casket was draped in the Australian flag for the nine-hour journey.

Warne, who died of a heart attack on the island of Koh Samui last Friday, will be honoured with a state funeral at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 30.

An autopsy earlier this week confirmed the cricketer had died of natural causes while he was holidaying with friends.

“Today investigators received the autopsy result, in which the medical opinion is that the cause of death is natural,” Kissana Phathanacharoen, deputy national police spokesperson, said in a statement.

“Investigators will summarise the autopsy result for prosecutors within the timeframe of the law.”

The statement did not confirm exactly how Warne had died, but police have said that he complained of chest pains before his death.

Warne’s manager, James Erskine, revealed he had been on an extreme liquid diet in the fortnight before he died.

The Warne family have accepted Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews’ offer of a state funeral. They will also hold a smaller, private event.

Fans have continued to lay floral tributes at a statue of Warne at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The stadium’s Great Southern Stand will be renamed the SK Warne Stand in the spin king’s honour.

Warne shot to global fame with the ‘ball of the century’ to bamboozle and dismiss Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes series against England.

He went on to claim 708 Test wickets, the second-highest haul in history, in a 15-year career spanning 145 matches.

The bullish spinner also racked up 293 one-day international wickets, helping Australia win the 1999 World Cup.

Mr Andrews said on social media that the state