Hampshire all-rounder Keith Barker has been given a 12-month ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
The 38-year-old has not played since a positive out-of-competition test was returned in July 2024 which contained an adverse analytical finding for the drug indapamide, which is used to treat hypertension.
Hampshire said that the violation appeared because of an “administrative error between medical professionals and Barker”.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) confirmed that, following a hearing on 5 March this year, Barker was handed a backdated 12-month suspension. He will be eligible to return to cricket from 4 July.
In a statement Hampshire said: “The controlled substance, which was a like-for-like alternative to Barker’s previous long-standing medication, was not declared to UK Anti-Doping at the time of use and a request for a retrospective therapeutic use exemption was rejected.
“The review panel accepted that Barker had no intention of breaching anti-doping rules and was not seeking any performance advantage.”
The county added that they had been working with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) to support Barker and had been unable to make any public comment about his absence from the team.
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