Shane Warne

Obviously the hottest topics in cricket recently have been the returns of Muhammad Aamer and the potential ban of Yasir Shah. This though got me thinking; Shane Warne was of course a naughty boy around a cell phone. Less discussed when speaking about Warne is the fact that Warne himself got himself into a match fixing, uh, fix with a bookie. CA tried to cover it up under a rug and he got a fine and the world was nice again. Then again, just before a world cup Warnie got caught with his hands in the steroidal cookie jar. He said he was just trying to lose weight and blamed his mum I think (As a side note, anyone blaming his mum for being caught sticking a needle in the butt is by default not rated particularly highly as a man by me). Again this isn't really discussed for some reason.

Is this a case of heroes having their vices hidden and the world not really wanting to lose a hero? Certainly an average player with his track record would struggle to get tickets into games let alone be a well paid commentator on Sky and Channel 9. What gives?

Is it because he's black?

To be fair, Warne's failed drug test was for a diuretic, weight loss pill that is also a masking agent. So no certainty that he had taken steroids.


There is a lot of double standards around - Herschelle Gibbs forgiven for his multiple indiscretions as one example, where others are not.

More talented you the more rope you get

Overtly crude and crass are harder to turn a blind eye to...especially when in the eye of the direct telecast of a post match ceremony.....

there is little parallel with Warne here