Shocked Australia mourns cricketing great 'Warnie'

MELBOURNE : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison led a cascade of tributes to Shane Warne as the country woke up on Saturday to the news the cricket great had died from a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Thailand.

As many in the sporting world and beyond expressed shock and grief, Morrison said Warne's family had been offered a state funeral for the sportsman known to his compatriots simply as "Warnie".

One of the finest bowlers of all time whose talent and personality transcended cricket, Warne died at the age of 52 on Friday, shortly after arriving in Koh Samui for a vacation with friends. [L2N2V71ES]

"Australians have woken in shock and sadness to the awful news of the death of Shane Warne," Morrison said in a statement.

"Shane was one of our greatest cricketers of all time ... but Shane was more than this to Australians. Shane was one of our nation's greatest characters. 

"His humour, his passion, his irreverence, his approachability ensured he was loved by all. Australians loved him. We all did."

Warne's death dominated local media on Saturday, pushing news of devastating floods on the east coast of Australia and the war in Ukraine off the top of news bulletins and websites.

"To us, he was the greatest – but to his family, he was so much more," Dan Andrews, premier of Warne's home state Victoria, said in a statement. "Our hearts are breaking for Shane's family and friends – and they are in the thoughts of all Victorians."

Devastated fans laid bouquets of flowers at the foot of a statue of Warne outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the cavernous cathedral of cricket where he took his 700th wicket on Boxing Day 2006.

"NOT SUSPICIOUS"

Thai Police said Warne and three other friends were staying in a