It looks like Shane Warne will be barred from training with the Victorian, Australian (or even St Kilda) teams if his twelve-month ban for drug transgressions is carried out to its fullest. We’ll hear more about this. JH was asked for comment by Neil Mitchell on Melbourne’s radio 3AW this morning (August 22). Archived transcript (Source):
MITCHELL:
Prime Minister, something else – the Sports Commission is threatening funding if Shane Warne trains with the national team while he’s under the drug ban. Do you think he should be training with the national team?PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think he should observe in the full the conditions of the ban and I support what the Sports Commission has done.MITCHELL:
But withholding of funding if necessary?PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I don’t believe it will come to that but the Sports Commission is upholding the code and it’s taken the right stance and I support it.MITCHELL:
Why? It’s always been your view that the cricket should be left to the cricket administrators.PRIME MINISTER:
But we’re not talking here about cricket administration, you’re talking here about the vision of Government funding and the code that we support. But the cricket administrators themselves have imposed the ban, haven’t they?MITCHELL:
Well yeah, but the cricket administrators decided he could train and in fact he is training with the Victorian team.PRIME MINISTER:
Well, you’ve asked me my view and I’ve given it. I mean…MITCHELL:
Was the Government asked to approve this line of approach?PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I wasn’t asked to approve it, but then I don’t get asked to approve everything that… the action was taken by the Sports Commission and I back the Sports Commission.MITCHELL:
Do you think he’ll come back, Shane Warne?PRIME MINISTER:
What, into Australian cricket?MITCHELL:
Yeah.PRIME MINISTER:
I hope he does because he’s a great cricketer.MITCHELL:
This will keep him out a bit longer.PRIME MINISTER:
Well there was a ban for a year…MITCHELL:
Oh yes, but he’s not going to walk in one day after the ban…PRIME MINISTER:
I do understand that. I mean, you can’t have something in relation to a ban like that and not uphold it.