PerthNow
The haunting final images of Shane Warne alive show the spin king appearing relaxed on his way into the luxury villa where he would die just hours later.
Hotel security footage captured at 1.30pm on Friday shows Warne, 52, dressed casually in a cap, t-shirt and shorts walking through the foyer at the Samujana Villas in Koh Samui.
Just hours later at 5.15pm he was found facedown and unresponsive on his bed after a suspected heart attack.
The photographs came to light as new details of the public memorial to honour the cricketing legend’s life were revealed.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Twitter the memorial, which will be live-streamed and ticketed, would be held at the MCG on March 30.
“There’s nowhere in the world more appropriate to farewell Warnie than the ‘G,” he said.
The date will mean it’s unlikely many of Warne’s famous friends including Elton John, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay’s Chris Martin will be among the expected 100,000 mourners to pay their respects due to scheduling clashes.
Elton John has a concert date in Missouri on March 30, while Coldplay will be performing in Mexico. Sheeran has show in London the following day.
His remains have been held at Bangkok Police Station’s mortuary following a 640km journey from Koh Samui.
It’s expected the charter jet will depart Thailand at 9am AWST. It is not yet known where the flight will land, but its most likely destination is Melbourne.
A private burial is expected to be held towards the end of next week.
Discussions into the service’s organisation have begun, with immediate plans on hold until Warne’s body is back on Australian soil.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews previously said the public service would be an opportunity for the state to pay tribute to one of its biggest sporting icons.
“It will be an opportunity for Victorians to pay tribute to his contribution to his sport, to our state and the country,” he said.
The MCG’s Great Southern Stand will be renamed the S.K. Warne Stand in the spin king’s honour.
“I’ve just informed the Warne family that the government will rename the Great Southern Stand at the MCG — the place he took his hat-trick and 700th wicket — to honour Shane and his contribution to the game,” Mr Andrews said.
“The S.K. Warne Stand will be a permanent tribute to an amazing Victorian.”
Warne was staying in a private villa with three friends, including one who performed CPR after finding him unresponsive when he did not show up for dinner.
Police Colonel Yuthana Sirisombat, director of Bo Phut Provincial Police Station in Koh Samui, said Warne had experienced chest pains before his trip to Thailand.
Citing interviews with family, he revealed Warne had a history of heart disease and asthma.
Originally published as CCTV image shows Shane Warne at Thailand’s Samujana Villas hours before his death from a heart attack
