Cricket: Shocked Warne out of Cup after drugs test

12.00am

The 2003 cricket World Cup lost its biggest name yesterday when Shane Warne pulled out of the tournament 30 minutes before Australia's opening game of their title defence after failing a drugs test.

Australian Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive James Sutherland told a news conference that Warne had asked to go home after testing positive for diuretics.

A stony-faced Warne added: "I took a fluid reduction tablet...which I did not know contained a prohibited substance.

"The tablet actually dehydrates you and gets rid of any excess fluid in the body.

"I'm shocked and absolutely devastated because I didn't take performance enhancing drugs. I never have and don't condone them in any shape or form."

Warne, the most successful leg spinner in history, failed a test on January 22 in Australia, carried out by the Australian Sports Drug Agency. Warne heard the news on Monday before informing the ACB.

Sutherland said Warne would fly back to Australia for a test on the B sample. If that proved negative, Warne could still return to the World Cup but Sutherland confirmed Australia had already approached the organisers for permission to call up a replacement.

Warne, speaking as his team-mates prepared for yesterday's re-run of the 1999 final against Pakistan, added: "I'm proud of the shape I'm in at the moment and that is due to nothing other than hard work and looking after myself with diet.

"I'd like to thank the World Cup squad for their support and friendship and I believe they have the talent and spirit in the team to win the World Cup with or without me."

Diuretics are often used to help weight loss or as a masking agent for other drugs. Warne has been on a fitness regime since the start of 2002 and has lost around 13kg.

The news came as a major blow to the tournament organisers who are still battling to persuade England and New Zealand not to boycott matches in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Warne said he had decided to go home "in the best interests of the team and the World Cup campaign...the ACB is very supportive of that.

"Whether I play any part (in the World Cup) or not will be decided very shortly."

He said he had often undergone random drugs tests in Australia, adding: "My previous tests have always come back negative and so will any future ones."

Cricket, often regarded as a low-risk sport, has never had a major drugs scandal before.

The news was first broken by Australia's Channel Seven television, which reported Warne had inadvertently taken a banned drug.

Warne partially dislocated his bowling shoulder against England on December 15 but, despite fears that he could miss the World Cup, he recovered quickly and returned only a month later.

The 33-year-old, one of Wisden's five cricketers of the century, was man-of-the-match in the 1999 final.

Warne said last month that he would retire from the one-day game to concentrate on test cricket and to help him avoid injuries. The Victorian has taken 491 wickets in 107 tests at an average of 25.71. He has 291 wickets in one-dayers at 25.82.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced in September that dope testing would be introduced at the cricket World Cup for the first time, in accordance with South African law.

It said the list of banned drugs would be specific to cricket and would differ from the International Olympic Committee's list.

- REUTERS

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