Shane Warne has been suspended for a match and fined $4,500 after being found guilty of three of the four misconduct charges arising from his physical confrontation with West Indies allrounder Marlon Samuels in a Twenty20 Big Bash game on Sunday.
Warne was sanctioned following a hearing on Monday morning and will miss the Melbourne Stars’ must—-in match against Sydney Thunder on Tuesday after opting not to appeal the ban.
The 43-year-old legspinner was found guilty of making “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact” during a confrontation with Renegades player Samuels in the Melbourne derby, and of using obscene or offensive language and dissent at an umpire’s decision. Samuels is facing charges of “unbecoming behaviour” for throwing his bat and making inappropriate and deliberate physical contact.
Warne was cleared of deliberately throwing the ball at Samuels in an inappropriate or dangerous manner.
“For me as the Melbourne Stars (captain) I’m very conscious of the image of the game,” Warne said. “I’m disappointed in some of my actions last night. Also I’m pretty disappointed with the severity of the penalties too. That was pretty harsh.”
Warne used social media to announce he wouldn’t appeal the ban, saying he hoped the Stars could win without him and qualify for the semifinals.
“Sport can be emotional and at times very passionate too,” he tweet, adding that he went too far “in trying to stand up for the team.”
The Renegades sealed a home semifinal in the Big Bash with the lopsided win over the Stars in front of a competition record crowd of 46,681 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday night, but the match was overshadowed by the running battle between Warne and Samuels.
Warne, who retired from international cricket in 2007 but has continued to play in the T20 format in India and Australia, repeatedly swore at Samuels and then tugged at Samuels’ shirt at the end of an over during the Renegades’ run chase. He was belatedly responding to an incident in the Stars’ innings, in which Samuels appeared to hold back David Hussey as he attempted a run.
After the tugging episode, Warne was fielding when he hit Samuels with an underarm throw and the West Indies allrounder responded by hurling his bat down the pitch, forcing the umpires to intervene to restore calm.
Samuels later top-edged a Lasith Malinga short ball into his helmet and face and had to leave the field with blood pouring from his head.
Samuels has been involved in previous disputes during the Big Bash, the domestic T20 league which was relaunched last year and is played during the summer TV ratings period in an enforced break in Australia’s regular first-class competition.
Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann, a former test player, was reprimanded and fined for questioning the legality of Samuels’ bowling action last month, while Adelaide Strikers coach Darren Berry is yet to face a hearing for over a pre-match confrontation with the 32-year-old West Indies player last week.
