Doug Bracewell, New Zealand pacer, has been handed a one-month ban by the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand after testing positive for cocaine and its metabolite Benzoylecgonine (BZE) following a T20 match in January 2024.
Bracewell was placed on temporary suspension without opposition on April 11, following an Adverse Analytical Finding from an in-competition test during the New Zealand Cricket Super Smash T20 encounter between the Wellington Firebirds and the Central Stags in Wellington on January 13, 2024.
"Bracewell tested positive for cocaine and its metabolite Benzoylecgonine (BZE) after a T20 match in January 2024. It was accepted that he had used the cocaine out of competition and for reasons unrelated to sports performance," Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui said in a statement.
Bracewell admitted to using cocaine but said that it was done outside of competition, before midnight the day before the match, and had nothing to do with sports performance.
The Sports Integrity Commission disagreed, arguing that the use must have occurred in competition. The Commission and Bracewell both filed expert evidence on that topic. Bracewell initially faced a three-month ban, which was reduced to a one-month sentence, retroactive to April 11, after completing a Commission-approved Substance Abuse Treatment Program.
Rebecca Rolls, Chief Executive of the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui, emphasized the broader implications of athletes' actions, particularly their role as influencers for younger generations.
“Athletes have a responsibility to set a positive example, especially for the Tamariki and Rangatahi who look up to them. Recreational drugs, including cocaine, are illegal and pose significant risks to athletes' health and safety. Their unpredictable nature makes them dangerous and undermines the integrity of sport," she said.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Scott Weenink said Bracewell had let himself down.
"NZC is committed to promoting safe and responsible behaviors and is frustrated at this latest turn of events. Doug accepts full responsibility for his error of judgment; the consequences of his behavior, and the penalty imposed. As an organization, we will continue to provide support for Doug – who is fully aware of our expectations moving forward,” said Weenink.
Doug Bracewell, son of former New Zealand cricketer John Bracewell and cousin of Michael Bracewell, has played 28 Tests, 21 ODIs, and 20 T20Is for Kiwis from 2011 to 2023.
(IANS inputs)
