Warne told vice-captaincy at risk

LONDON, June 21 AAP - Shane Warne has been left in no doubt by Australian Cricket Board chief executive Malcolm Speed that his position as Australia's vice-captain is in deep jeopardy following his involvement in a sex scandal.

Speed met with Warne for some two hours here last night, to discuss the tabloid row which erupted as the married father of two admitted leaving lewd messages on the answer phone of an English nurse.

Warne is likely to escape an ACB fine, as the incident occurred while he was under contract to English county Hampshire.

But Speed said Warne knew the reprimand he had delivered to him may not be his only punishment.

Speed will now draft a detailed report on the matter to deliver to the ACB board of directors when they hold their regular meeting in August to determine the leaders of the Australian teams for the coming summer.

Asked if Warne was aware the issue had damaged his chances of remaining vice-captain, Speed said: "I've made it clear to him it's damaged his chances". Speed said Warne also regretted harming his longer-term hopes of taking over the captaincy.

"His ambition to captain the team is something he values highly. It's fair to say he's very disappointed he's put that at risk."

While Warne appears to have avoided financial penalty for bringing the game into disrepute through his approaches to 22-year-old Leicester woman Donna Smith, the affair has clearly angered his Australian bosses at a time when cricket is struggling to project a respectable image in the face of corruption storms.

"I don't envisage I will be fining him under the terms of his contract," Speed said.

"There's a threshold issue here of whether, given that he's in another country working for another employer, and he hasn't played for Australia for some months, whether we should be involved in it at all, other than to outline our position ... about what the expectations of the ACB and the Australian public are of the leaders of the Australian cricket team."

Speed, who included his meeting with Warne on a trip to London for International Cricket Council meetings, said all players had to realise the glare of the media spotlight now meant they had to behave appropriately in public at all times.

"The rules have changed," said Speed, who said this had been "a distressing time" for Warne.

"If they (international players) behave in an inappropriate manner in public then they can expect to read about it in the media."