COCAINE BAN FOR ENGLAND RISING STAR
U19 World Cup top scorer Burnham to miss year for THIRD drugs rap
ENGLAND under 19 and Durham batsman Jack Burnham has been banned for 12 months for his third drugs offence. It follows a positive test for cocaine after a hair sample was taken from him last month.
Burnham, 20, previously served a 21- day suspension for his second failed test, although neither his county nor the ECB publicised the punishment.
under the ECB’s drugs policy, no details of Burnham’s first offence have been made public. He met the ECB’s chief medical officer ‘ for the purpose of determining an appropriate rehabilitation programme involving education, counselling and treatment in respect of illicit substances’. Burnham would have been made aware then that he was subject to further testing.
‘I am bitterly disappointed in my actions, I’ve let my team-mates, members and supporters down,’ Burnham said.
‘I will work exceptionally hard to retain my fitness and carry out the rehabilitation procedures that have been put in place.’
Durham, in conjunction with the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the ECB, have vowed to stand by a player who agreed a new two-year contract at the Emirates Riverside just last month. He will not be able to play for his county for the entire 2018 season and must complete another rehab programme before resuming his career. His ban is another blow to Durham after Ben Stokes was arrested last week on suspicion of actual bodily harm.
Ed Giddins and Graham Wagg were sacked by Sussex and Warwickshire respectively for similar drugs offences but Durham resisted the opportunity to follow suit with a player who has already spent a dozen years at the club.
The most recent recreational drugs ban in English domestic cricket was five years ago this week. Somerset’s Pakistani bowler Abdur Rehman was suspended for 12 weeks for smoking cannabis.
Eighteen months ago, Burnham appeared to be making the strides of a future global star after finishing as top run-scorer at the under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh. He scored three hundreds and his 420 runs broke the English record previously held by Alastair Cook.
Burnham followed that with 630 Division one runs for Durham in his first full season at County Championship level.
However, this past summer he managed just one 50 in seven Championship appearances.