Warne offered chance to play again

Shane Warne has been offered the chance to roll his arm over for the self-proclaimed "Harlem Globetrotters of Cricket" the Lashings club in England.

The Kent-based club, basically a glorified social side paying good money to attract outstanding players, confirmed it was chasing the signatures of Australia's suspended leg spinner Warne and Zimbabwean runaway Henry Olonga, who is in hiding in South Africa.

"I can confirm that Lashings Cricket Club has made direct approaches to both players and we are at present awaiting responses from the agents of Olonga and Warne," said Lashings' spokesman David Folb.

"Our desire to sign Olonga is self-explanatory given his stance against the oppressive regime of his home country, Zimbabwe.

"As far as Warne is concerned obviously we are aware of the delicate position that he is in with regard to world cricket and understand the implications of the ban that the player has received from the Australian Cricket [Board].

"He will serve his ban from international cricket and this club can never condone the misuse of drugs in any walk of life let alone cricket. However, his contribution to world cricket outweighs by some margin the more recent misdemeanour that has been committed and this is the reason behind our approach.

"During his absence from Test and county cricket Warne would be a considerable asset to us not only from a playing perspective but also in terms of coaching and other work within the community.

"By playing for ourselves, he will still be able to retain involvement in the game while at the same time keeping himself in shape for some of the demanding challenges that he will face upon the cessation of his suspension."

Warne is serving a 12-month ban for testing positive to a banned diuretic.

It remains to be seen whether Warne's suspension will prevent him from playing for Lashings.

Folb said feedback had been positive, not the least because Warne's former Australian Test and one-day team-mate Mark Waugh was due to represent Lashings soon.

Lashings - named after the English pub and the beach-bar in Antigua that Warne and all the Australian players visit on tours of the Caribbean - have lured Sir Vivian Richards, Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, Curtly Ambrose, Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram into their team in the past.

Meanwhile, Olonga said he would remain in hiding in South Africa because of threats to his safety.

The fast bowler, who made World Cup protests with team-mate Andy Flower against human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, said he could not confirm reports that the Zimbabwean secret police were searching for him.

"I don't know what the facts are," he told the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation.

"I must be wise about my movements, about my location, you can't rule anything out.

"I'm keeping low. It's hearsay but they are warnings and I have taken them seriously."