Shane Warne should sack his spin doctor, if he has one, for not advising him to keep his mouth closed. The bloke, as opposed to the cricketing genius, is simply beyond redemption if he honestly believes that his off-field woes are somehow the work of a media pedalling lies and untruths.
Warne sounding off yesterday upon his arrival back in Australia, after he almost heroically and single-handedly kept us in the battle for The Ashes, claiming the Australian media was much worse than the British variety, took some balls indeed.

Warne’s ego is happy to bask in the brilliant glare of the “sportlight” his on-field exploits attract and pocket the massive off-field earnings that come through such media-fed celebrity. But like too many of his ilk, he thinks the media has no business delving into his personal life despite this celebrity. The media is to be tolerated only on his terms – which are usually to enhance his corporate or charitable image, including publicizing his various personal endorsements or other approved media activities.

The media didn’t invent his well documented extra-marital philandering; yet to listen to him yesterday was to believe he has been the victim of so many lies and massive media distortions it’s a wonder he’s not knee deep in lawsuits to clear his falsely tarnished name around the world.

Despite his past news conference contrition, as demanded by his employer Cricket Australia, concerning past controversies like being linked to cricket bookies, being suspended for violation of the anti-doping code, or defending himself from a litany of “priors” (with his wife admitting he was on his last chance before his Ashes tour indiscretions came to light), according to Warne, it’s still somehow all the fault of the media.

If the Australian media has demonstrated an unhealthy obsession with his private life perhaps Warne might consider why so much of it is deemed worth reporting on – and why no other cricketer gets hammered by the media year in, year out.