Shock and tributes as Aussie cricket great Shane Warne dies aged 52

Australian star Shane Warne -- one of the greatest Test players of all time -- has died of a suspected heart attack aged just 52, sparking an global outpouring of grief from fellow cricketers, celebrities and politicians.

Warne -- a larger-than-life character whose tally of 708 Test wickets has been surpassed only by fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan -- was found unresponsive at a luxury resort in Koh Samui, Thailand on Friday.

"Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived," a statement from his management company said.

A Thai medical source said that companions and emergency staff performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation but to no avail.

His body was brought to the Thai International Hospital Samui at around 6:00 pm local time (11:00 GMT) from Samujana Villas, northeast of Koh Samui, medical staff said.

As Australia awoke to the news on Saturday, fans laid flowers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where there is a statue in Warne's honour.

Among the other offerings were a can of beer, a packet of cigarettes and a meat pie -- a nod to Warne's famously hard-charging lifestyle. 

So beloved was Warne in his native Melbourne that the Victorian state government said the Great Southern Stand at the MCG will be renamed the S.K. Warne Stand.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Warne "one of our nation's greatest characters" and announced he would receive a full state funeral.

In a touching tribute, Morrison praised him as an inspiration to backyard cricketers across the country and someone who lit up each Australian summer.

"His achievements were the product of his talent, his discipline and passion for the game he loved. But Shane was more than this to Australians," Morrison said.

Credited with reviving the art of leg-spin, Warne was part of a dominant Australian Test team in the 1990s and 2000s and helped his country win the 1999 limited-overs World Cup.