Leics bowler Wright gets backdated drugs ban

Leicestershire seam bowler Chris Wright been fixed a backdated nine-month prohibition aft failing a supplier test.

The 38-year-old tested affirmative for ostarine - a supplier which has akin effects to testosterone - successful September past year.

Wright admitted 2 charges of breaching England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) anti-doping rules.

The suspension has been backdated to October 2023 and Wright, who will beryllium free to play again for his region connected 19 July, said: "I americium backmost successful training and looking guardant to my afloat return."

Wright, who has besides played for Middlesex and Warwickshire, has taken 780 wickets successful each formats of nan crippled - 588 of them successful red-ball cricket.

He took 3-65 successful his astir caller crippled for Leicestershire against Durham successful September past twelvemonth and a proposed move to Sussex fell through nan pursuing month, which led to him signing a caller two-year woody astatine Grace Road.

A afloat study connected nan lawsuit said Wright had submitted a missive successful which he stated he had not "intentionally 'doped' aliases been reckless aliases negligent".

He admitted nan charges connected nan ground that he had taken nan banned constituent "inadvertently and unknowingly" which was contained successful a bilberry nutrient supplement, bought online.

Following nan announcement of nan ban, he said: "I was shocked to find retired that I had tested affirmative for trace amounts of a banned constituent connected a azygous juncture backmost successful October 2023.

"I had been utilizing a consequence supplement astatine nan time, purchased from a well-known manufacturer, which had nary sports performance-enhancing capability.

"I was highly fortunate that pinch nan thief of technological experts, I was capable to place that nan supplement was contaminated pinch ostarine, a synthetic constituent that ought not beryllium successful immoderate nutrient merchandise successful nan UK, and nan Cricket Regulator accepted this."

He continued: "The sheet recovered that I bore nary important responsibility and I americium pleased this matter has been resolved truthful that I tin resume playing soon, aft what has been an highly difficult and trying clip for maine and my family."