Professional Cricketer Christopher Wright receives nine-month ban for Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Professional Cricketer Christopher Wright has been banned from all sport for nine months, following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance.  

Mr Wright was tested by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), Out-of-Competition, on 2 September 2023. Mr Wright’s Sample tested positive for ostarine, a SARM (selective androgen receptor modulator) which is designed to have similar effects to testosterone. Ostarine is a non-Specified Substance that is prohibited at all times in sport. 

Mr Wright was notified and charged with ADRVs for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance and provisionally suspended. Mr Wright admitted both ADRVs but submitted that under the applicable Rules his ADRVs were not ‘intentional’ and that he bore ‘No Significant Fault or Negligence’. 

Prior to a hearing before the independent National Anti-Doping Panel (‘NADP’), Mr Wright provided scientific evidence that his positive test had been caused by a contaminated supplement, which he had purchased on the internet. Taking all the evidence into account, the Cricket Regulator (which took forward the case) accepted that Mr Wright could prove that his ADRVs were not intentional. The issue in dispute was the degree of Mr Wright’s Fault or Negligence for the ADRVs.  

Following the exchange of all evidence and submissions, the matter was then heard before an independent NADP tribunal. The independent NADP tribunal concluded that Mr Wright had established that his ADRVs were not intentional and that he bore No Significant Fault or Negligence for his ADRVs. 

In assessing the degree of Mr Wright’s Fault or Negligence, the independent NADP tribunal considered, amongst other matters, the anti-doping education which had been provided to Mr Wright during his cricket career. This included regular anti-doping training on the risk of supplements, as well as the type of supplement purchased by Mr Wright.  

In its remarks, the independent NADP tribunal concluded that whilst Mr Wright’s Fault was Not Significant, it was also “not trifling” and went on to impose a nine-month ban from all sport.  

Mr Wright is entitled to credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended, so his ban is deemed to have commenced on 19 October 2023 and will end on 18 July 2024. 

 

Technical terms and more information  

Please note, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, capitalised terms used in this announcement have the meaning given to them in the ECB Anti-Doping Rules and/or World Anti-Doping Code.  

The ECB has delegated authority for Results Management (RM) in anti-doping matters involving cricketers under its jurisdiction from UKAD. Any hearing taking place under delegation from UKAD is observed by UKAD. 

Non-specified substances are those where there is no non-doping explanation for having these substances in an athlete’s system. Specified substances are those that, if found to be present in an athlete’s bodily sample, may be more likely to have a credible, non-doping explanation. 

Ostarine is prohibited under S1. Anabolic Agents on the WADA Prohibited List.  

Alternative names for ostarine: 

• Enobosarm 

• GTx-024 

• MK-2866 

• S-22 

• (2S)-3-(4-cyanophenoxy)-N-[4-cyano-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamide 

The National Anti-Doping Panel   
Operated by Sport Resolutions, the National Anti-Doping Panel is an independent tribunal responsible for adjudicating anti-doping disputes in sport in the UK.