Performing “responsibility” and “conspiracy” through press statements: The Shane Warne case

Abstract

In 2003, the Australian cricketer Shane Warne was suspected and convicted of doping. The purpose of this article was to understand how he tried to resolve the problem/dilemma of being suspected and convicted of doping through three press statements, which he delivered to the media during the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa. The research was done within a constructionist-narrative paradigm. The press statements were analyzed using a problem-solution approach to narrative analysis. From the analysis of the press statements it appears that he portrayed himself as being a responsible cricketer in an attempt to counter the possible public perception that he was an irresponsible cricketer. Due to his legal conviction by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) in conjunction with the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA), the responsibility argument was replaced by portraying himself as the victim of a doping conspiracy.

Keywords: Shane Warne, cricket, doping, prohibited substances, performance enhancement, constructionist-narrative paradigm, problem-solving approach.