Steyn fails dope test

Johannesburg – Dale Steyn, South Africa and the world's No 1 fast bowler, has tested positive for a banned substance and is facing a hefty fine or even suspension.

A urine sample taken from Steyn during the Indian Premier League (IPL), exceeded the allowed level for morphine after taken too many painkillers.

Due to injury, Steyn could only play in three of the Bangalore Royal Challengers' matches in the tournament.

However, Proteas team doctor and member of Cricket South Africa's medical committee, Dr Mohammad Moosajee, believes the 26-year-old fast bowler should get off.

"Dale presumably took too much Myprodol after struggling badly with migraines over the past few months and he also broke his left thumb during the IPL," said Moosajee.

He added that Myprodol and codeine (the substance contained in the painkiller) are not listed as banned substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

According to Dr Pieter van der Merwe, head of the South African laboratory where testing takes place for banned substances, codeine is turned into morphine by the body and a very high dose could lead to a positive test.

Moosajee confirmed that Steyn's morphine levels were tested at 1.3 microgram per millimetre, slightly over the allowed level of 1.0.

The International Cricket Board earlier confirmed the result of the test, but refused to reveal the name of the player involved.

"The Royal Challengers medical team were informed of the painkillers and we have already sent a detailed report to the IPL in which we explained the reasons for the use of it," said Moosajee. "We expect to get feedback within the next few days and are confident that there will be no action taken against Dale."

He should cut his losses, use the Bridgette Warne defence and only face a year out of the game.

Would he go the Asif way and be banned for atleast an year?

Presumably the BCCI will be in his corner because they don't agree with drug testing (and it happened at the IPL which doesn't help).

So he should get off.

Painkillers? FFS.

JGK wrote:Presumably the BCCI will be in his corner because they don't agree with drug testing (and it happened at the IPL which doesn't help).

So he should get off.

BCCI very much agrees to drug testing and Asif was banned by IPL for an year. I'm sure IPL will take appropriate action this time too, though hope that Steyn is not unfairly penalised!

JGK wrote:Presumably the BCCI will be in his corner because they don't agree with drug testing (and it happened at the IPL which doesn't help).

Know the facts first.

Presumably the BCCI will be in his corner because they don't agree with drug testing

Presumably, Australian cricketers as well as their association applauds BCCI for their stance against WADA's controversial whereabouts clause.

According to Dr Pieter van der Merwe, head of the South African laboratory where testing takes place for banned substances, codeine is turned into morphine by the body and a very high dose could lead to a positive test.

I would like a second opinion

Having once been on morphine and other pain-killers, really kick-arse painkillers at that, I can guarantee you the only performance they enhance is in bed.

Sleeping in bed.

Chandan wrote:

JGK wrote:Presumably the BCCI will be in his corner because they don't agree with drug testing (and it happened at the IPL which doesn't help).

So he should get off.

BCCI very much agrees to drug testing and Asif was banned by IPL for an year. I'm sure IPL will take appropriate action this time too, though hope that Steyn is not unfairly penalised!

And why not ?
He has tested positive for drugs and as such should incur the severest punishment possible.

In this day and age, with doctors, surgeons, nurses, dieticians etc., hovering around every international team, there should be NO possibility of excuses being made along the lines of "oh he took codiene as a pain killer which is transformed naturally into morphine by the recipient's blood".

If they knew that in the first place then why not control the administration the codiene doses in order to stay within the law?

Drug abuse, whether intended or not and whether "accidental" or not, has to be controlled rigidly, with severe penalties meted out in order to stamp out the practice once and for all.

Nath wrote:

According to Dr Pieter van der Merwe, head of the South African laboratory where testing takes place for banned substances, codeine is turned into morphine by the body and a very high dose could lead to a positive test.

I would like a second opinion

His last posting was at the Uni of WA.

skully wrote:
His last posting was at the Uni of WA.

Dodgy ... to say the least!

Crooked as a Murali elbow.

He's only a poor village boy, he doesn't know about these things.

Oh wait, thats asif...