Shane Warne died of natural causes and with no signs of foul play, Thai police have confirmed, following an autopsy conducted on the cricket legend.
Police in Thailand said the news had been conveyed to Warne’s family, who also paid an emotional tribute to him following his sudden death, aged 52, from a suspected heart attack while on holiday in the country on Friday.
“Today, investigators received the autopsy result, in which the medical opinion is that the cause of death is natural,” deputy national police spokesperson Kissana Pathanacharoen said in a statement.
“Investigators will summarise the autopsy result for prosecutors within the timeframe of the law.”
The statement did not specify the precise cause of death but police confirmed over the weekend that Warne had previously complained of chest pain.
The autopsy report showed Warne died of a “congenital disease”, Songyot Chayaninporamet, deputy director of Samui Hospital, told a news conference.
In August last year, Warne fell ill after testing positive for coronavirus but Songyot added: “There is no Covid-19 infection and no sign of assault or murder.”
Warne’s long-time manager, James Erskine, also said he had just finished a “ridiculous” 14-day diet.
Warne’s parents, children and brother broke their silence over his death on Monday, describing the days since as a “never-ending nightmare”.
The family were still waiting for his body to be returned to his native Australia amid reports they would hold a private service ahead of a state funeral.
Parents Keith and Brigitte said: “To find words to adequately express our sadness is an impossible task for us and looking to a future without Shane is inconceivable, hopefully the mountain of happy memories we all have will help us cope with our ongoing grief.
“Over the past few days Shane has been honoured with the family being offered a state memorial for Shane by Premier Dan Andrews which the family have gratefully accepted.
“The Premier and Minister for Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula have also advised that the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be renamed the S.K Warne Stand. We sincerely offer our thanks to the state government and the MCG trust for this honour.
“We would also like to acknowledge the support of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his kind words both personally and on behalf of the country, as everyone knows Shane was an extremely proud Victorian and Australian.
“Brigitte and I are most grateful for the many messages of love and support received over the past few days and thank one and all for their kind words of comfort.”
