Then came the smoking incident where he was alleged to have molested a child who had photographed him smoking during the tour of New Zealand. Warne kept the Aus $200,000 (US $128,000) paid by a sponsor for staying off the cigarettes despite being caught smoking three days before the deal was due to end.

Warne claimed the incident was insignificant in an otherwise smoke-free four-month deal with Upjohn and Pharmacia, the manufacturer of Nicorette chewing gum. "It had been quite a stressful ten-week period and unfortunately I had a night out with the lads, it was quite late at night, and I gave into the temptation once," he said of the incident.

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