Cricket: Warne pays for outburst

SHANE WARNE has been fined A$2,400 (pounds 900) by the Australian Cricket Board for criticising an umpire during a recent Sheffield Shield match.

Warne, who has only just returned to competitive action following an injury lay-off, was found guilty of breaching the board's code of conduct. The Victoria captain was fined the equivalent of his match fee for an outburst at a post-match press conference at the WACA ground 10 days ago.

Warne was unhappy with an lbw decision given by umpire Randolph Woolridge against Victorian batsman Graeme Vimpani in the match against Western Australia. "Everyone in the ground knew he [Vimpani] hit it bar him [the umpire]," Warne said at the time.

Sri Lankan cricket officials have included off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan in a 15-man squad to tour Australia, disregarding threats from the Australian umpire Darrell Hair that he will question his bowling action.

Australian cricket chiefs are pressing the International Cricket Council for a quick decision over the row. Sri Lanka have urged the ICC to ban Hair from their matches in the triangular tournament in January for comments he made in his book about Muralitharan.Hair no-balled him seven times in a three-over period during the 1995 Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne and described the spinner's action as "diabolical" in his recently published autobiography, writing that he would have no hesitation in calling him again.

Discarded Test opener Matthew Elliott hit an unbeaten century in the Sheffield Shield yesterday. The left-hander scored 144 not out, his fourth century of the season, as Victoria reached 248 for 1 against South Australia on the first day in Melbourne.