Shane Warne fined for criticising Rajasthan Royals official

The Australian leg-spinner and Royals captain has been fined US$50,000 for his public outburst towards Sanjay Dixit.

Shane Warne grimaces during the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore where he later blamed pitch conditions on the Rajasthan Cricket Association's secretary.
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MUMBAI // Shane Warne, the Australian leg-spinner, has been fined US$50,000 (Dh183,645) for publicly criticising an official, the Indian Premier League (IPL) cofirm.

A two-member commission, comprising of the IPL chairman Chirayu Amin and the 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.

Media in India reported that the 41-year-old 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 2007 but continued to play in the cash-rich IPL.

Warne 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 play-offs, against Mumbai Indians on Friday.