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Australian T20 batter Chris Lynn served a one-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine following the T20 Blast Finals Day in England in July, with England's Cricket Regulator confirming that the 36-year-old has since completed a rehabilitation programme, reported Cricinfo.
Lynn underwent a routine anti-doping test on July 18, the day Northamptonshire defeated their opponents to lift the T20 Blast trophy for the third time. The Australian scored 39 and four in the two matches on Finals Day. His urine sample was subsequently sent to a laboratory in France for analysis, where it tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Lynn travelled to Sri Lanka immediately after the T20 Blast to participate in the Lanka Premier League (LPL), but was ruled out of the tournament on July 29 due to an unspecified leg injury after making just one appearance for Galle Gallants. Two days later, he was informed by the Cricket Regulator about the adverse analytical findings in his sample and was provisionally suspended. Three weeks later, Lynn admitted to using cocaine, confirming that the incident had taken place outside a sporting competition and was unrelated to his cricketing performance. He disclosed that he had used the substance "during a period of several hours across the evening of 15 July 2026 and into the early hours of 16 July 2026". Earlier that evening, Lynn had retired hurt during Northamptonshire's quarter-final victory over Gloucestershire after being struck on the foot by a low full-toss from Duan Jansen. The Cricket Regulator initially charged Lynn under two articles of the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) anti-doping rules. However, one of the charges was subsequently dropped after the cocaine concentration in his urine sample was found to be below the minimum threshold required for a charge under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules. The regulator initially considered imposing a three-month suspension but reduced it to one month after Lynn confirmed that he had completed a substance abuse treatment programme. The programme was deemed to have been completed on August 30, a month after the beginning of his provisional suspension. Lynn has not featured in professional cricket since serving the ban. The veteran batter is also yet to officially confirm a contract for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season, although Australian media reports suggest that he has agreed to join Melbourne Renegades. (ANI)
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