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Australian players' columns to be vetted

Australian players at the World Cup will henceforth have to get their newspaper columns cleared before releasing them for publication.
The move follows the recent controversy over an article by Shane Warne in last week's London Times. The champion spinner had written that the sport would be better off without Sri Lanka's World Cup captain Arjuna Ranatunga because of his on-field behaviour.

Warne was swiftly reprimanded, fined and handed a suspended two game-ban.

Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the Australian Cricket Board, after a board meeting on Monday, announced: "Shane and the other players who are writing columns have been directed to provide a hard copy of any proposed article to the team manager, and if he's not happy with it, it would be rejected.
"It's unfortunate that we have to do that but we can't afford the risk that Shane offends again. I'm afraid he'll have to put up with it."

Meanwhile, it is learnt that in the light of renewed tensions between the two countries following Warne's article, the Australian board has decided to send an advance party to Sri Lanka to review security standards for the Australian tour in September. Though Warne is unlikely to make the tour, the ACB are not taking any chances.
The advance party, which will include ACA president and former player Tim May, will travel to Sri Lanka immediately after the World Cup.

Speed ruled out any chances of the tour being called off. "What we would be saying to the local police and local security people there is that it's their duty to satisfy themselves and the Australian Cricket Board and the players that safety is not an issue."