MELBOURNE: Australian star Shane Warne admitted yesterday he went too far after being banned for one match and fined A$4,500 (US$4,700) for an ugly, foul-mouthed clash with West Indies’ Marlon Samuels.

The spin legend, captaining the Melbourne Stars against city rivals the Renegades in the domestic Big Bash tournament on Sunday, was furious that Samuels pulled back David Hussey when the batsman was turning for a second run.

Then when Samuels was batting later in the game, Warne confronted the him with obscene language.

In the next over Warne, in the field, threw the ball at the Jamaican’s chest and Samuels reacted by tossing his bat down the pitch towards the Australian.

The two players squared up and had to be separated by the umpires.

Samuels was later forced to retire hurt when he top-edged a Lasith Malinga delivery into his eye. With blood gushing from his face, he needed hospital treatment.

Cricket Australia yesterday charged both players with multiple breaches of their code of behaviour and in Warne’s case found him guilty of three of four offences.

The veteran leg-spinner was sanctioned for dissent at an umpire’s decision, using obscene language and deliberate physical contact.

But he was cleared of another charge of throwing the ball at or near Samuels in an “inappropriate and/or dangerous manner”.

Samuels faces two breaches – deliberate physical contact and unbecoming behaviour – but it is not clear when the charges will be heard as he is nursing a suspected serious eye injury.

Stars’ batsman Cameron White was also charged with dissent and received a suspended A$1,000 fine. The Renegades won the game by nine wickets in front of a record Australian domestic Twenty20 crowd of 46,581.

Warne, who cannot play in his team’s night clash today against Sydney Thunder in Melbourne, initially claimed he had been harshly treated.

“I’m disappointed in some of my actions last night. Also I’m pretty disappointed with the severity of the penalties too,” he said after the hearing.

“I think that was pretty harsh.”

But he later backed down, saying his behaviour overstepped the mark.

“I have decided to accept my penalty of a one-match ban. Let’s hope the boys can win tomorrow and we can make the semi-finals,” Warne tweeted.

“Thanks for support guys, sport can be emotional and at times very passionate too. I went to far in trying to stand up for the team.” — AFP

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