Sydney: A leading sports medicine expert in Australia on Tuesday said that he was "amazed" by the ignorance of star leg spinner Shane Warne after it was revealed that he tested positive for diuretics.

Asserting he did not know the circumstances leading to Warne's positive test, Dr Peter Larkins told Melbourne Radio 3 AW that the diuretics found in the leg spinner's sample were usually prescribed for people with heart failure.

An Australian Cricket Board (ACB) press release said Warne had traces of the diuretics hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride in his system.

Dr Larkins said both diuretics were commonly prescribed, but as they were fairly strong he was "amazed" both were in Warne's positive test.

ACB chief executive James Sutherland on Tuesday confirmed Warne had tested positive to diuretics and would undergo a hearing in Melbourne with the ACB anti-doping unit.

Warne said he took a fluid tablet before his comeback match in Sydney last month, unaware it contained diuretics.

According to experts, diuretics are used by athletes primarily for weight loss. Diuretics increase the amount of urine produced by the body and have been used in the past by weightlifters to fall within weight restrictions.

Diuretics can also be used to dilute urine produced by the body in order to prevent the detection of other substances, such as anabolic agents.

Dr Larkins said it was unclear why Warne took a tablet containing a dieurtic.

"That begs the question why an elite athlete who knows he's in a drug-testing programme would take a substance that he's not sure what's in it," he said.

"Shane Warne said he was unaware that he took a drug that contained a diuretic - he thought he was taking something else - and I would have thought that again says where does the onus lay?

"If you're not sure what's in it you shouldn't take it."

He said diuretics were "misused" in attempted weight loss because they prompted rapid results through the loss of fluid.

"That's the cheat's way to do it, without any hard work," he said.

Under ACB's drug policy diuretics is a banned substance along with steroids, stimulants, narcotics and growth hormones.

Dr Larkins also said international sporting bodies banned diuretics to prevent them being used to conceal.

Extras:
Warne Tests positive for banned drug, to return home