Chris Lynn serves one-month suspension for cocaine use
The former Australian cricketer served a one-month suspension from July 31 to August 30
Former Australia batter Chris Lynn has been handed a one-month suspension by ECB's Cricket Regulator, after cocaine was found in his drug test that was conducted during the finals day of the T20 Blast on July 18. Lynn, who was turning out for Northamptonshire in the competition, accepted the sanction.
A report from the Cricket Regulator stated that: "The Cricketer’s urine sample was sent to the WADA-accredited Laboratory in the Laboratoire Anti-Dopage, France for analysis and returned Adverse Analytical Findings (“AAF”) for cocaine’s Metabolite benzoylecgonine. Cocaine is listed under section S.6A of the 2026 WADA Prohibited List as a Stimulant. It is a non-Specified Substance that is prohibited In Competition only. Cocaine is also specifically identified as a Substance of Abuse in the 2026 WADA Prohibited List."
On July 31, Cricket Regulator notified Lynn about the findings of the drug test and conveyed to him that he was provisionally suspended. On August 20, Lynn responded to the charge, confirming that he had used cocaine on July 15 and 16. The Cricket Regulator report also stated that Lynn asserted his offence amounted to an out-of-competition Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) violation and was unrelated to sporting performance. He also provided evidence to support that the ingestion of cocaine happened out of competition.
On September 23, Cricket Regulator gave Lynn a formal notice that he was being charged. The notice also stated that they accepted Lynn's explanations about the violation occurring out-of-competition. Lynn was first charged under two articles of ECB's anti-doping rules, but one of them was later dropped as the cocaine level in his urine sample was found to be below the minimum level requred for a charge under the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) rules. Cricket Regulator also wanted to suspend Lynn for three months, which was then reduced to one as he provided confirmation that he completed a 'substance of abuse treatment programme. The suspension was deemed to have been completed on August 30 - a month since the start of his provisional suspension.
