The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wants the Australian government to fully apply its anti-drugs rules to ensure that banned cricketer Shane Warne's 12-month suspension is properly enforced.

WADA's move follows reported comments from Australian selector Allan Border on Tuesday that the high-profile leg-spin bowler would have the opportunity to train with the national squad as a guest during his ban.

Australia's leading Test wickettaker tested positive to a banned diuretic last February and was suspended from cricket for a year.

Warne's suspension ends on February 10, just ahead of Australia's scheduled Test series with Sri Lanka.

WADA's chief executive David Howman and president Dick Pound

were surprised to learn that the disgraced leg-spinner was preparing to train with the Australian team in the lead-up to this summer's season, even though he was a

banned athlete.

"It is bizarre," Howman told the Sydney Morning Herald on

Thursday. "It is not a ban if he is training or playing a ban means not participating in any form. I find this ruling particularly bizarre because it is out of character with Australia's strong anti-doping stance."

Warne was given permission to play in charity matches and train with the team after the players' union, the Australian Cricketers' Association, sought clarification from the Cricket Australia ruling body over the exact nature of the ban.

An arbitrator ruled that the legal association between the players and Cricket Australia meant Warne was only banned from official matches.

"I don't understand what the ACA is doing," Pound told the Herald. "It is doing everything in its power to allow a cheater to play. It is absolutely anti-ethical and against the spirit of the game.

"It used to be that the game of

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cricket was all about ethics, cricket was so honest it produced the line 'that is not cricket' but now we have this situation where it is cricket."

Howman said he was perplexed the other players were supportive of an athlete who had tested positive to drugs.

Australian Sports minister Rod Kemp is on the board of WADA and has been instrumental in getting the fledgling world authority operational in the past two years.

Howman said WADA president Dick Pound was writing to Kemp asking him to apply Australia's antidoping rules.

WADA cannot act on its own because it has no jurisdiction over the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ICC, while having dialogue with WADA, has so far remained uncommitted to the concept of uniform penalties and a uniform anti-doping code.

But, the Herald said the Australian government can persuade Cricket Australia to come on board through its funding via the Australian Sports Commission and any government assistance to host major events such as World Cup fixtures.

Pound said Cricket Australia was being disingenuous because it had the power within its rules to enforce the ban but was choosing to pursue a different point in its rulings that was softer.

Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Tim May on Thursday hit back at the WADA saying it should stop criticising Warne's participation in a charity match.

"Howman's comments appear to have been made without working knowledge of Cricket Australia's Anti-Doping Policy or an understanding of the principles behind the recent arbitration," May said.

"The arbitration was not about Shane Warne, it was about whether or not CA (Cricket Australia) has the ability under its Anti-Doping Policy to extend a ban to testimonial and bona fide charity matches.

"It has been proven it does not."

Border said Warne was good enough to make an immediate return to the Australian Test squad.

"I think he's so good that he could come straight back into the squad and we'll have the opportunity in the summer months to get Shane involved in the squad," Border said on ABC radio.