Warner fined for bar brawl, but will be available for Ashes

Australia suspended David Warner up until the first Ashes test and fined him 11,500 Australian dollars on Thursday for attacking England player Joe Root in a late-night incident at a bar. The opening batsman will miss Australia’s final Champions Trophy group match, against Sri Lanka on Monday, as well as the team’s tour games against Somerset and Worcestershire in the lead-up to the first test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from July 10. Cricket Australia said Warner, who pleaded guilty at a hearing via teleconference to breaching its code of behavior, “will be eligible for selection for the first test.” [caption id=“attachment_869097” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Cricket Australia said Warner, who pleaded guilty at a hearing via teleconference to breaching its code of behavior, “will be eligible for selection for the first test.”. AP[/caption] CA reported Warner, one of the cornerstones of Australia’s batting department, for engaging in “behavior unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game into disrepute or (b) be harmful to the interests of cricket” after what the governing body said was a “physical altercation” with Root in a Birmingham bar in the early hours after the 48-run loss to England in the Champions Trophy on Saturday. England officials used stronger language, saying Warner had “initiated an unprovoked physical attack” on Root, who it said “was in no way responsible for nor retaliated to the attack.” England said Warner had apologized to Root. Reports across the British media said Root and two other England players were in the Australian-themed Walkabout bar when he was punched on the chin by Warner. It’s not the first time the temperamental Warner has found himself in trouble. Last month, he delivered an expletive-laden Twitter rant against two senior cricket journalists. He was fined 5,750 Australian dollars for breaching CA’s code of conduct. Warner apologized but said he disagreed with having his photo printed alongside a story written by one of the journalists about corruption in the Indian Premier League. Warner has been a regular in Australia’s test team — averaging nearly 40 — since making his debut in December 2011. But he has struggled for form since arriving in England, failing to score a run in both warm-up games for the Champions Trophy and then making 9 in the defeat to England. He was dropped for the no-result against New Zealand on Wednesday pending the hearing. AP