The "King" of spin’s death sparked a global outpouring of grief from prime ministers, rock stars and fellow players, an acknowledgement that the Melbourne native transcended his sport.

Warne -- one of the greatest Test cricketers of all time -- was found unresponsive at his luxury villa at the Samujana resort on Friday evening.

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"Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived," a statement from his management company said.

His body was brought to the Thai International Hospital Samui at around 6:00 pm local time (1100 GMT).

"No foul play was suspected at the scene based on our investigation," Thai police told AFP.

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 and unathletic diet.

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