Big Bash League record-setter Chris Lynn's one-month suspension for a positive drugs test has been revealed two months after he completed the penalty. The 36-year-old Australian cricketer was handed the suspension in August following a positive test taken on the day of the T20 Blast finals in July, when he was playing for Northamptonshire Steelbacks. According to The Guardian, the revelation comes just days after Lynn was linked with a potential move to the Melbourne Renegades for the upcoming Big Bash League season.
Lynn's urine sample tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine. After the adverse analytical finding was confirmed, Lynn admitted to using the drug several days before the test. The cricketer did not hold a therapeutic use exemption for cocaine. According to The Independent, the regulator's findings noted that a separate charge for cocaine use was withdrawn because the reported level fell below the minimum threshold required under World Anti-Doping Agency rules. The sample was analysed at a WADA-accredited laboratory in France.
Lynn successfully argued that his drug use constituted an out-of-competition violation unrelated to sporting performance. England's Cricket Regulator determined that he had admitted to the anti-doping rules violation and accepted responsibility. He was initially facing a three-month suspension, which was reduced to one month after he completed a substance of abuse treatment program. The ban was backdated to cover the period between 31 July and 30 August.
On Finals Day in Birmingham, Lynn scored 39 and 4 as Northamptonshire won the T20 Blast title for the third time. He had been set to play in Sri Lanka following the tournament, but after one appearance he was ruled out with an unspecified leg injury on 29 July. According to ESPNcricinfo, Lynn has not played professional cricket since the start of his ban and had not officially signed with a BBL team at the time of that outlet's report.
What happens next for Lynn?
Any further disciplinary action would be at the discretion of Lynn's BBL club. Since he has now served his penalty and is not on a Cricket Australia contract, he is available for selection. The Melbourne Renegades' Big Bash League campaign is scheduled to begin against the Perth Scorchers on 12 December.
Lynn's career record
Lynn is the Big Bash League's leading run-scorer and six-hitter across the competition's history. Beyond domestic cricket, he has represented Australia at international level, playing four one-day internationals and 18 T20 internationals. His record-breaking status in the BBL makes this suspension a significant development in Australian cricket, occurring at a time when the league prepares for its new season.
