New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell, 34, has been suspended for one month by the country’s internal Sports Tribunal after testing positive for cocaine. The suspension is backdated to April 2024 and has already been served.

Bracewell “was provisionally suspended without opposition” in April after an in-competition test returned an ‘adverse analytical finding.’ The test was administered on January 13 after the match between Central Stags and Wellington Firebirds in New Zealand’s domestic T20 league, Super Smash. Bracewell took 2 for 21 with the ball and also scored 30 from 11 balls with the bat.

According to ESPNCricinfo, a statement released by the tribunal says that Bracewell “admitted using cocaine but maintained that his use occurred out-of-competition, being prior to midnight on the day before the match, and that it was unrelated to sport performance”. The Sports Integrity Commission, though, believed ” the use must have occurred in-competition”.

Following subsequent hearings, the Commission eventually “accepted Mr Bracewell’s position” and agreed on an appropriate sanction of three months which was reduced to one month and backdated after Bracewell had “satisfactorily completed a Substance of Abuse treatment programme approved by the Commission.”

The last time Bracewell played for New Zealand was in a Test match against Sri Lanka in Wellington in March 2023. Across all three formats of the game, he has represented New Zealand in 69 Tests, 21 ODIs, and 20 T20Is.

A regular throughout franchise cricket leagues across the world, Bracewell’s next assignment is likely to bethe Abu Dhabi T10 league, where he is a part of New York Strikers, and then at the SA20 in early 2025 when he will play for the Joburg Super Kings.