Australian batter Chris Lynn has been handed a one-month suspension by the England Cricket Regulator after testing positive for a cocaine metabolite during an anti-doping test conducted following the T20 Blast Finals Day in July 2026.
The former Australia international has also completed a substance abuse rehabilitation programme, which helped reduce his initial three-month suspension to one month. The regulator confirmed on Friday that the penalty had already been served.
Chris Lynn Cocaine case: What happened?
The 36-year-old returned an adverse analytical finding after his urine sample was sent to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in France for testing. The sample contained benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
According to the Cricket Regulator’s reasoned decision, Lynn confirmed on August 20 that he had used cocaine over several hours on July 15 and into the early hours of July 16.
The Australian batter maintained that the consumption took place outside competition and was not related to his sporting performance. The regulator’s appointed expert also supported this assessment.
Lynn was provisionally suspended on July 31 after being notified of the test results. He was subsequently charged under two articles of the ECB’s anti-doping rules.
However, one of the charges was withdrawn on October 21 after the regulator established that the reported level of the substance in his sample was below the minimum reporting level required under WADA rules. The charge concerning the presence of benzoylecgonine remained, which Lynn accepted.
Suspension reduced after rehabilitation programme
The Cricket Regulator initially sought a three-month period of suspension. However, Lynn informed the authorities of his intention to complete a substance of abuse treatment programme.
On October 30, the regulator received confirmation that the Australian had completed the programme. His suspension was subsequently reduced to one month under the applicable anti-doping rules.
The one-month suspension was backdated to July 31 and ended at 11:59 pm on August 30, 2026. The regulator also clarified that Northamptonshire Steelbacks would not face any sanction over the incident
Chris Lynn’s International Cricket career
Lynn has represented Australia in four One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 18 T20 Internationals. He is widely known for his aggressive batting and six-hitting ability in franchise cricket.
The right-handed batter is also the all-time leading run-scorer in the Big Bash League (BBL), having established himself as one of the most recognised names in Australian T20 cricket.
The Cricket Regulator made the details of the case public on November 6, confirming that Lynn had accepted the sanction and completed his suspension.
