Warne loses vice-captaincy

Shane Warne was today stripped of his position as Australia's vice-captain, following revelations that he had bombarded an English nurse with lewd phone messages.

The controversial leg spinner is to be replaced by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced. Gilchrist beat Tasmanian batsman Ricky Ponting for the job.

Warne, 30, had held the leadership role since early last year but despite being one of the greatest players of all time, his off-field antics proved too much for the ACB.

ACB chairman Denis Rogers, who spoke with Warne to tell him of the board's decision, said his off-field behaviour had cost him the job.

"We have counselled him over the years and he's been very honest with us but it's got to the point where we think it's time for a change," Rogers said.

Warne's latest indiscretion in England, where he's playing county cricket with Hampshire, proved to be the last straw.

The married father-of-two admitted last month that he had left a string of obscene messages on the mobile phone of a woman he met in a nightclub, angering officials as cricket struggles to project a respectable image in the face of the match-fixing storm.

This followed another highly publicised incident in New Zealand last year when he tried to take a camera away from a young man who snapped him with a cigarette while he was being sponsored to give up smoking.

Leading up to today's meeting, Warne had the support of national selectors and past Australian captains such as Mark Taylor and Allan Border, who saw no reason to replace him with either batsman Ricky Ponting or wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

Current captain Steve Waugh also indicated he wanted Warne as his deputy.

"It's pretty obvious there is some conjecture because certain things have happened," Waugh told the television network, Channel Ten. "As a fellow player, you wouldn't like to see it taken away from him because of indiscretions.

"I have spoken to Warney a couple of times, and he knows the situation and knows there is going to be talk about the whole thing.

"He's disappointed with what's going on because he wants the vice-captaincy."

Ponting is considered a future captain but, like Warne, has a questionable disciplinary record on and off the field.

He was suspended for two one-day matches in 1998-'99 after being knocked out in a brawl at a Sydney nightclub, and promised to undergo counselling for a drinking problem.

The Tasmanian has also yet to captain his state on a regular basis but at age 25, is considered to have plenty of time to assume that key role.

Gilchrist, 28, was also mooted as a possible replacement for Warne, having impressed all with his character and cricket.

The West Australian gloveman however also has limited experience as a captain, and there was some concern that his stunning form with the bat and with the gloves would falter, if given more responsibility at this early stage of his international career.

However, Gilchrist finally got the job, with the ACB voting for the cleanest of the three contenders.

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