Coldplay's Chris Martin and Ed Sheeran hoping to attend Shane Warne’s state funeral

British singer Ed Sheeran and Coldplay's lead vocalist Chris Martin are amongst the stars and celebrities who are planning to attend cricketing legend Shane Warne's state funeral in Australia. Both Sheeran and Martin were close friends of Warne and have reportedly expressed their willingness to attend his funeral. Sheeran had shared a lengthy tribute post on Instagram just hours after the news of Warne's demise broke out. 

Many individuals have expressed interest in attending Warne's funeral, according to his manager James Erskine, cited The Syndey Morning Herald. Everyone wants to attend Warne's funeral, as per Erskine, but Australia is a long distance away, and those who are unable to attend will send a message. Warne's body is expected to arrive in Australia at any moment. A private ceremony for friends and family members is expected to be held before the planned state funeral. 

Erskine has said the venue for the funeral has not been decided yet but it is likely that it will be held at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The funeral will be held in the coming few days. 

Warne died of a suspected heart attack on Friday in Thailand's Koh Samui island, where he was holidaying with his close friend Andrew Neophitou. Warne was found unresponsive in his room by Neophitou, who attempted to revive him by performing CPR. However, when the medical staff arrived at the location, Warne was pronounced dead. As per Erskine, the first Test match between Pakistan and Australia was playing on the television and Warne was lying face down on his bed. 

Warne's body was sent to mainland Thailand for an autopsy. On Monday, Thai police confirmed that the autopsy report found Warne's death was caused by natural causes. Warne was reportedly on a liquid diet until his death on Friday. He was apparently working to get his body back into shape. 

Warne's career

As far as Warne's playing career is concerned, the legendary spinner was most remembered for delivering the "ball of the century" during the 1993 Ashes Test series in England. Warne played 145 Tests for Australia from 1992 to 2007. Warne picked a total of 708 wickets in Tests during his illustrious playing career, and to date, he remains the second-highest wicket-taker in the longest format. 

Image: AP