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Australia will send Shane Warne home from the World Cup after the player failed a drugs test, the Australian Cricket Board said on Tuesday.
Leg spinner Warne had tested positive for a diuretic - a drug often used to help weight loss or as a masking agent for other drugs, the ACB told a news conference.
He will immediately fly home to for a second test on a B sample, though ACB chief executive James Sutherland said that if that proved negative Warne could still return to the World Cup.
Sutherland confirmed Australia have already approached the organisers for permission to call up a replacement player to their World Cup squad.
The test, which was routine, was carried out by the ACB in Sydney last month during the lead-up to the tournament in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Warne, one of Wisden's five greatest players of the 20th century, returned to the Australian squad for the World Cup after making a much faster than anticipated recovery from a dislocated shoulder in December.
Australia take on Pakistan in their first Pool A match at The Wanderers in Johannesburg today, live on Sky Sports 3.
Sutherland told the press conference: "I am here today to announce that Shane Warne has expressed his wish to stand down from the Australian World Cup team and will return to Australia today to complete further drug tests and face a hearing under the ACB anti-doping policy.
"This follows Shane's advice to us that the Australian Sports Drugs Agency have told him he has tested positive for a diuretic on samples he provided in Sydney last month.
"Shane notified the ACB yesterday as soon as he received the news and he believes the failed tested is because of a flu reduction medication he took in Sydney last month.
"The ACB has referred the matter to the ACB anti-doping committee based on our belief that he may have committed an offence under the ACB anti-doping rules.
"The hearing will take place in Melbourne as soon as possible."
Warne added: "Until then (the hearing) I will just have to deal with the situation as best I can.
"I would like to thank the World Cup squad for their support and friendship. I believe we have the talent and spirit in the team to win the World Cup with or without me.
"It is not appropriate to go into further details at the moment because there is further testing to be done this week."
Leg spinner Warne had tested positive for a diuretic - a drug often used to help weight loss or as a masking agent for other drugs, the ACB told a news conference.
He will immediately fly home to for a second test on a B sample, though ACB chief executive James Sutherland said that if that proved negative Warne could still return to the World Cup.
Sutherland confirmed Australia have already approached the organisers for permission to call up a replacement player to their World Cup squad.
The test, which was routine, was carried out by the ACB in Sydney last month during the lead-up to the tournament in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Warne, one of Wisden's five greatest players of the 20th century, returned to the Australian squad for the World Cup after making a much faster than anticipated recovery from a dislocated shoulder in December.
Australia take on Pakistan in their first Pool A match at The Wanderers in Johannesburg today, live on Sky Sports 3.
Sutherland told the press conference: "I am here today to announce that Shane Warne has expressed his wish to stand down from the Australian World Cup team and will return to Australia today to complete further drug tests and face a hearing under the ACB anti-doping policy.
"This follows Shane's advice to us that the Australian Sports Drugs Agency have told him he has tested positive for a diuretic on samples he provided in Sydney last month.
"Shane notified the ACB yesterday as soon as he received the news and he believes the failed tested is because of a flu reduction medication he took in Sydney last month.
"The ACB has referred the matter to the ACB anti-doping committee based on our belief that he may have committed an offence under the ACB anti-doping rules.
"The hearing will take place in Melbourne as soon as possible."
Warne added: "Until then (the hearing) I will just have to deal with the situation as best I can.
"I would like to thank the World Cup squad for their support and friendship. I believe we have the talent and spirit in the team to win the World Cup with or without me.
"It is not appropriate to go into further details at the moment because there is further testing to be done this week."
