SYDNEY, 15 August 2003 — An exotic dancer has come forward with new allegations about Shane Warne’s behavior in the fall-out from a South African woman’s sexual harassment claims against the Australian cricketer, it was revealed yesterday.
The dancer, a married Melbourne woman, is threatening to reveal details of her alleged relationship with the controversial Australian cricketer, celebrity agent Harry M Miller told Channel Nine.
Meanwhile a former employee of Cricket Australia (CA) claimed the organization received regular complaints about Warne.
And in another development yesterday, the Australian government renewed calls for the 33-year-old Test leg-spinner to be banned from charity games while serving a 12-month drug suspension.
The 38-year-old Melbourne woman wanted to come forward about her alleged involvement with Warne because of the unfair treatment she thought was being given to South African Helen Cohen Alon, who has accused the cricketer of harassing her with text phone messages.
“She says all the things that happened to her, this South African woman, happened to this woman as well,” Miller said.
“The stuff this woman alleges, if it’s true, will make a huge noise everywhere.”
Cohen Alon has said she has been offered 200,000 rand (US$28,000) by an associate of Warne to keep quiet about their relationship in a series of threatening phone calls and text messages.
The former CA marketing employee, talking on the condition of anonymity, said meanwhile that Warne had been the subject of almost daily complaints from the public for “several years”. “There’s just too many ladies with too many stories,” she told Channel Seven with her face hidden and voice distorted.
“He made life very difficult for the staff there.” CA general manager Peter Young said he didn’t know what the ex-staffer was talking about. “I’ve been here for nine months and it’s not a fact that we get complaints about Shane Warne every day of the week,” Young said.
“We received calls about Shane when the anti-doping case was on, and we have received complaints about him this week in regards to the allegations, which remain only allegations at this stage.
“It is true we receive a lot of mail, e-mail and telephone calls from the public about a range of issues, which include compliments to the players as well as complaints,” he said.
Attempts to contact Warne and his manager, brother Jason, were unsuccessful yesterday.
On Warne’s drugs suspension, Sports Minister Rod Kemp said yesterday the government-funded Australian Sports Commission would consult with CA to ensure the cricketer was prevented from making charity appearances and training with club, state or country.
Warne, Australia’s leading Test wicket-taker, tested positive to a banned diuretic last February and was suspended from cricket for a year. “It is the advice that I have received that playing in charity teams and taking part in practice matches with the national team is contrary to the anti-doping code,” Kemp told parliament.
“I believe that those (anti-doping) codes should be enforced and I believe they will be enforced.” An independent arbitrator has already ruled that CA is powerless to stop Warne making charity appearances and attending training. CA chief executive James Sutherland said the body’s anti-doping policies would be reviewed before the new summer season.
