Keith Barker suspended for 12 months following use of banned substance

Keith Barker, the Hampshire left-arm seamer, has been suspended from all cricket for 12 months - backdated to July 2024 - after testing positive for a prohibited substance during a routine drugs test last summer.

In what was described by the club as an "administrative error", Barker tested positive for Indapamide in May 2024, and was provisionally suspended by the Cricket Regulator in July 2024. He subsequently accepted a violation of two of the ECB Anti-Doping Rules at a hearing on March 5, and will return to competitive cricket from July 4.

Although Indapamide is listed as a diuretic and masking agent on WADA's 2024 prohibited list, it is also used in the treatment of hypertension. It was prescribed to Barker as a like-for-like alternative to his previous long-standing medication, but because it was not declared to UK Anti-Doping at the time of use, 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, but he was hit with a 12-month ban by the National Anti-Doping Panel.

Barker, 38, claimed 16 wickets at 24.37 in four County Championship fixtures last summer, including a best of 6 for 74 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in June. Due to the nature of his case, neither he nor the club has been able to make any public comment about his subsequent absence from the team.

"Over the last nine months I have been part of a very tense, gruelling process leading to the results of my hearing," Barker said in a statement issued by Hampshire. "Having been forced to step away from my career and the sport I have loved since I was a young child due to a genuine administrative error has been mentally taxing and left me fearing for the loss of my career that is very dear to me.

"I'd like to thank the support of the PCA, all the professionals involved in working on my case, Hampshire Cricket and family and friends for helping me get through this difficult time," Barker added.

"I'm looking forward to getting back to playing the game that I love. My hope is for any young professionals to look at my case with a renewed sense of vigilance around medication and anti-doping procedures in professional sport."

Giles White, Hampshire's director of cricket, said: "This is a regrettable incident, which is the result of a genuine mistake, Keith is an exceptional professional and everyone at the club is focused on supporting him to return to first team action from July.

"Keith's performances over the last six years have made him a firm favourite with fans and we are grateful to members and supporters for their patience while this process has been ongoing."