Warne's smart act invites $5000 fine

Melbourne: Veteran leg-spinner Shane Warne has been fined $5,000 for acting "against the spirit of cricket" during the semi-finals of Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 League.

Warne captained the Melbourne Stars throughout the league but passed the captaincy to team-mate James Faulkner in a semi-final against the Perth Scorchers to avoid a possible suspension for Melbourne's slow over rate.

Cricket Australia deemed the captaincy switch to be a code of conduct violation after previously warning teams "if a team's official captain is selected but not named as captain...this may attract a code of behaviour charge."

CA fined Warne after he handed Melbourne Stars\' captaincy to James Faulkner to avoid suspension for slow over rate.

Warne had previously been warned over Melbourne's slow over rate and faced a one-match suspension for a second offence.

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