Shane Warne

Shane Keith Warne (born September 13, 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), is an Australian cricketer, and captain of Hampshire. He is one of the greatest leg spin bowlers in cricket history. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. Since October 2004, he has held the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket, and in August 2005, he became the first bowler to take 600 Test wickets. He has, however, been plagued by scandals off the field throughout his playing career.

Controversies

Despite nearly universal recognition of Warne's talents, his reputation with fans and cricket authorities is mixed, owing to a succession of intemperate actions in both his professional and his private life.

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Bookmakers

In 1998, Warne was forced to admit that he had taken money to provide pitch and weather reports from a man later discovered to be operating with bookmakers. While such an offence was trivial compared to those of players such as Hansie Cronje and Salim Malik who took money to throw matches, the extreme naïveté Warne displayed struck many observers as somewhat dubious.

Related Topics:
1998 - Bookmaker - Hansie Cronje - Salim Malik

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Positive drugs test

In February 2003, just prior to the start of the 2003 cricket World Cup, Warne was sent home after a drugs test during the one-day series in Australia earlier in the year returned a positive result for a banned diuretic.

Related Topics:
2003 - 2003 cricket World Cup - Drugs test - Diuretic

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In a public relations blitz, Warne initially claimed that he took only one of what he called a "fluid tablet" – the prescription drug Moduretic – on his mother's suggestion, in an attempt to improve his appearance. This justification was believable, as Warne has battled weight problems throughout his career. Warne claimed ignorance of the banned nature of the tablet he took, as well as much of the drug policy of the Australian Cricket Board (despite extensive briefings on the matter in the past).

Related Topics:
Public relations - Prescription - Moduretic - Australian Cricket Board

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Charged with using "a prohibited method to enhance performance", Warne faced a two-year ban from cricket if found guilty. Considerable pressure was placed on the panel considering his case by Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, who in comments described by the head of the Australian Sports Drug Agency as "highly inappropriate", poured scorn on Warne's excuse and stated that Australian sport was well-known for accusing others for cheating but was considerably less enthusiastic about prosecuting its own. Pound's comments were however at least partly endorsed by sportspeople such as former Olympic swimming champion Kieren Perkins, who expressed concern that a lenient verdict would make a mockery of Australia's stand against drugs in sport.

Related Topics:
Dick Pound - World Anti-Doping Agency - Australian Sports Drug Agency - Olympic - Kieren Perkins

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In the end, the panel found Warne guilty of breaching the ACB's drug code, and imposed a one-year ban. It was further revealed, and confirmed by Warne in a subsequent television interview, that he had actually taken two of the pills. Warne's testimony, and that of his mother, was described by the panel as "vague and inconsistent". The panel decided against imposing the full two-year ban because the drug would have had no performance-enhancing effect, there was no evidence that Warne used the diuretic to mask steroid use, and medical opinion stated that steroids would not have enhanced Warne's recovery from a shoulder injury he had suffered several weeks earlier, or assisted his game in any case. A disappointed Warne initially considered appealing, but decided against it, as several people, including Pound, pointed out that the penalty could have been increased if an appeal was made.

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During his suspension, he considered working for the St Kilda Saints Australian rules football club as an assistant coach, before the Australian Football League told the club that it would be inappropriate to have somebody suspended for a drug offence advising its players. He also received invitations to play in various celebrity "park cricket" teams, and the newly renamed Cricket Australia reversed its decision on whether Warne, as a contracted player, should be allowed to play in such matches. He also became a TV commentator for Channel 9 in Australia during this time.

Related Topics:
St Kilda Saints - Australian rules football - Australian Football League - Cricket Australia - TV commentator - Channel 9

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Marital infidelities

Warne's private life has also suffered from scandals and been subjected to scrutiny by British tabloid newspapers. He came under criticism for text messaging a woman whilst on tour in South Africa, apparently sending lewd and harassing messages. However the woman, Helen Cohen Alon, who made the claims was subsequently charged with extortion in her own country.

Related Topics:
Tabloid - Text messaging - South Africa - Extortion

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Further allegations of Warne having extra-marital affairs broke in 2005 as Australia began its tour of England in preparation for The Ashes. On June 25, 2005, Warne and his wife Simone announced that they had decided to separate.

Related Topics:
2005 - June 25

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Warne's off-field indiscretions cost him various corporate endorsements and offers. On July 13, 2005, Australia's Nine Network announced it would not renew Warne's commentating contract, worth around AUS$300,000 annually. Warne had previously been seen as a future member of the Nine cricket commentary team, and had done commentary work during his one-year ban from cricket in 2003.

Related Topics:
July 13 - 2005 - Nine Network

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Warne has even had a song written about his exploits; Horny Warnie by Horny Warnie & the Whites, which received some airplay in Australia.

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