Warne calls it a farce
AFP, Melbourne
Shane Warne has lashed out at the Cricket Australia (CA) describing their decision to stop him from training during his one-year doping ban as farcical. The disgraced leg-spinner is in England with his family away from the heat generated by a series of sexual accusations from women. But on Wednesday he reopened controversy over his drug sanction when he sounded off about the issue of training while serving the ban. "I'm not allowed to attend any official training with anyone at any level," Warne wrote in a column on Wednesday for the Herald-Sun here. "The whole situation has become a farce, but that's unfortunately the decision. "They are not only penalising the charity that I could be playing for, but also penalising the younger players I have been helping, such as Cameron White, a young leggie I know I can help." CA was told by the government-funded Australian Sports Commission (ASC) that it was unacceptable for Warne to train while serving his 12-month ban for taking a banned diuretic, detected in a doping test prior to the World Cup in South Africa that Australia won without him. Under CA's anti-doping policy, the training ban covers national, state and even club training. The 33-year-old leg spinner told a press conference here on August 22 that he would take no further part in any official training until his ban expires in February. The next day he left for England to get away from intense scrutiny over his controversial private life. South African Helen Cohen Alon has accused Warne of sending her raunchy text messages and a Melbourne stripper has made allegations of an affair with him. These allegations follow an admission in August 2000 that Warne made lewd telephone calls to a nurse while playing county cricket in England. He subsequently lost the Australian Test team vice-captaincy over the incident. Warne said in his column that he would not comment on private matters regarding his family. "I also don't normally reflect on the past but in the current situation it has been necessary to do so," he wrote. "Some people say there is always some good to come out of any situation. "I believe this is true and in my case, it has been to re-evaluate where I am at in my life and what's important to me. "Let me tell you, it's an easy decision. It's my family by a long way." Warne's wife, Simone, has said she would stand by her husband. Warne also vowed to fight for his spot in the Australian team when his suspension ends in February, saying he owes it "to those who have supported me over the years".
|