Cricket: Shane Warne funeral - family to farewell spin king in private

Shane Warne's family and friends will farewell the cricketing legend at a funeral today. Photo / Getty Images

Shane Warne's devastated family and friends will farewell the cricketing legend in a private funeral today, Sunday.

The service is expected to be held in Melbourne.

Almost 100 high-profile names are set to attend the invitation-only event.

It comes after the 52-year-old's shock death from a heart attack at a villa in Koh Samui, Thailand on March 4.

Warne's three children Brooke, 24, Jackson, 22, and 20-year-old Summer are expected to be at the centre of proceedings.

Shane Warne will be farewelled by family and friends in a private funeral. Photo / Getty Images

The service will come 10 days before a crowd of 50,000 is expected to gather at the MCG for a star-studded public memorial.

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.

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"It will be an opportunity for Victorians to pay tribute to his contribution to his sport, to our state and the country," he said.

Warne's former partner Elizabeth Hurley posted on Instagram just hours before the funeral that she was devastated about being unable to attend.

"My heart aches that I can't be in Australia tomorrow for Shane's funeral," she wrote.

"I was filming last night and, with the time jump, physically can't get there. These pictures were taken in Sri Lanka to celebrate our engagement – we had all our children with us and it was the happiest time.

"It still hasn't really sunk in that he's gone. It seems too cruel that all the people who loved him will never have another Lion hug, but our memories will live forever. RIP Lionheart, with love, your Luna."

Ed Sheeran and Coldplay's Chris Martin were originally slated to perform, but these plans have been put on hold because of apparent scheduling conflicts.

The MCG's Great Southern Stand will be renamed in the king of spin's honour, a move announced just hours after his death.