MUMBAI, May 18 (Reuters) – Australian cricketer Shane Warne has been fined $50,000 for publicly criticising an official, the Indian Premier League (IPL) said on Wednesday.
A two-member commission, comprising IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and former India captain Ravi Shastri, heard Rajasthan Cricket Association’s (RCA) complaint that Warne had publicly insulted its secretary Sanjay Dixit after an IPL match.
“It (the commission) regards the public criticism of Mr Dixit as being a serious breach by Mr Warne of his IPL playing contract,” the commission said in a statement.
Local media reported that Rajasthan Royals skipper Warne, who will quit professional cricket after this IPL season, was upset about a change of playing surface during the May 11 match in Jaipur against Royal Challengers Bangalore and held Dixit responsible.
The commission noted Warne had apologised to Dixit and said it had considered the spin bowling great’s “contribution to the game of cricket in general, and to the Indian Premier League”.
The flamboyant leg-spinner retired from test cricket after Australia whitewashed England 5-0 in the Ashes in early 2007 but continued to play in the cash-rich IPL.
Warne, 41, has still managed to spin a web around batsmen with his flight and turn this season despite his advancing years and has taken 12 wickets in 12 matches.
He will play his last match for Rajasthan, who failed to make the cut for the IPL playoff, against Mumbai Indians tomorrow.
