MELBOURNE, 11 August 2003 — Shane Warne is seeking legal advice after allegations by a South African woman that she had received raunchy telephone messages from the Australia leg spinner, his promoter said in a statement yesterday.

A Johannesburg mother of three, Helen Cohen Alon, 45, was quoted in South Africa’s Sunday Times as saying Warne telephoned her up to 40 times after a models’ party.

“We regard the allegations of the South African woman Helen Cohen Alon as a personal issue between Shane, (wife) Simone and the relevant parties,” Warne’s brother and promoter Jason said in the statement.

“This appears to be a blatant attempt by a person attempting to set up someone for personal gain — whether that be monetary or notoriety — and we will consult our legal people in this regard.

“We feel to comment on the issue would only further assist her in gaining the result she is conspiring to create.

“Therefore, Shane and anyone connected to him will not be making any further comments on this topic.”

Warne, one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century, was stripped of the Australia vice-captaincy in 2000 after admitting he had made lewd telephone calls to a British nurse.

The divorced South Africa woman said she met Warne on Feb. 20 last year in a clothing store. “The moment he laid eyes on me, he was interested,” Cohen Alon was quoted as saying.

ACC Want to Include Cricket in SAF Games for Pakistan-India Peace

In Karachi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) yesterday suggested the inclusion of cricket in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games as part of a move to end a deadlock between the two neighbors.

“ACC will officially request the South Asian Sports Federation (SASF) to include cricket in the SAF Games which we think can be stepping stone for the revival of cricket between India and Pakistan,” ACC development manager Zakir Hussain Syed told AFP.

India snapped bilateral cricket ties with arch rivals Pakistan over political tension in 2000 but recent efforts to normalize relations between the two neighbors have triggered hopes of ties being revived by next year.

“We are sure that cricket can increase the appeal of the Games to a great extent and besides Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — the four Test playing nations — Nepal can also chip in,” Syed said.