BBL 09: Shane Warne asks Cricket Australia to retract "ridiculous" fine on David Hussey 

Hussey had been fined by the board for comments deemed against spirit of cricket.

David Hussey | GettyLegendary Shane Warne went after Cricket Australia without mincing words as the board fined Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey for a code of conduct breach after it considered Hussey's comments contrary to the spirit of the game. 

Hussey was fined $2,000 by the board after he joked that he had worn spiked footwear on the pitch before the game against Adelaide Strikers on Wednesday (January 22). 

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"Ridiculous for me," Fox Sports quoted Warne as saying while commentating. "We’re lucky to have that sort of (interview) access. They’ve got to have a bit of humour and have a bit of banter with us. You don’t want to stop that stuff."

"$2,000 is just over-officious and shows no common sense, so retract it. Give him the two-grand back."

Laws of the sport mandate that "prior to the start of play, only the captain and team coach may walk on the pitch to assess its condition. Spiked footwear is not permitted at this time" but Hussey had clearly only joked to have done so. 

Neither was he found guilty by independent code-of-conduct commissioner Adrian Anderson of intending to gain an unfair advantage because he wasn't wearing the spiked shoes talked above. But perhaps to close the matter off, Hussey still accepted the fine and also that his comments had not been in the spirit of cricket. 

You want to dot every, I and cross every t and try to get the competitive advantage over the opposition. These comments were made in jest and in a light-hearted moment with the commentators," he was quoted saying by Reuters

 "I never intended to suggest that I had in any way broken the rules of the game. I realize that my comments, broadcast to our fans and supporters, may have undermined the Spirit of Cricket and for this, I apologize.”

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 25 Jan, 2020

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