Melbourne, Aug 06: Disgraced Australian leg spinner Shane Warne will not be an automatic selection in the Victorian cricket team after serving his 12-month drugs ban, state coach David Hookes said today. Warne's ban for testing positive to banned diuretics expires on February 10, making him eligible to play for Victoria the following weekend.
Victoria play a one-day match against Tasmania on February 14 and a Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania starting two days later.
Further complicating where and when the champion leg spinner makes his return is Australia's tour of Sri Lanka in mid-February and the fact Warne's club team St Kilda is likely to be playing on February 14. There is also a potential third final of the triangular one-day international series against India and Zimbabwe set down for February 10.
Hookes said Victoria would not automatically recall Warne for the matches against Tasmania and would want to ensure he was match-hardened after such a long inactive spell.
"I would hope that Warney feels comfortable enough with the workload that he's done that he would be ready to play a first-class game of cricket, which is a big step," Hookes said. Hookes said he had yet to speak to Warne, but felt he would "dovetail" into Australia's one-day side once his ban finished.
Australia is set to leave for Sri Lanka for a Test and one-day series on February 13.
Hookes said Warne could resume training with Victoria in October, once the Australian Football League season - Warne has an unpaid advisory role with AFL team St Kilda - had finished. Bureau Report