Warne fined $50,000 for criticising official

MUMBAI, May 18 (Reuters) – Australian cricketer Shane Warne  has been fined $50,000 for publicly criticising an official, the  Indian Premier League (IPL) said on Wednesday.  

A two-member commission, comprising IPL chairman Chirayu  Amin and 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. 
 
Local media reported that 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.  

Shane Warne

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 early 2007 but  continued to play in the cash-rich IPL. 
 
Warne, 41, 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 playoff, against Mumbai Indians tomorrow.